Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama

Name: Antoine Caldwell
Position: OC
School: Alabama
Height: 6033 V
Weight: 307 V
40 Time: 5.3 E

Athleticism: 6.0
Caldwell is a decent athlete for a center. His most impressive trait is his flexibility, as he bends his knee quite well and plays with a low stance. However, he does not change directions especially well. Caldwell plays with surprisingly good balance, a result of his wide stance (insert bathroom joke here). Caldwell flashes very good quickness at times, but too often does not have good quickness (grade borderline from 6.0 to 5.5).
Quickness: 6.0
Balance: 6.0
Fluidity: 6.0

Physical Talents: 6.0
Caldwell is a pretty talented player, with excellent size and strength for an NFL center. He carries his weight well, and in fact looks lighter than 307lbs, but has the strength to match with most NFL DTs. However, his inconsistent explosion means he doesn’t always have a good first couple of steps off the LOS in run blocking.
Body Type: 6.5
Strength: 6.5
Explosion: 5.5

Polish: 6.5
Antoine is a smart player with an excellent understanding of the playbook, which you would expect of player with over 40 starts. He makes at least some line calls at the LOS, and the Crimson Tide’s offensive line speaks for itself. He always seems to be in position, and does a good job locating the linebacker on the second level. He plays with good hand use and is rarely beaten by technique.
Understands Playbook: 6.5
Proper Technique: 6.5
Instincts: 6.5

Competitiveness: 6.5
Caldwell doesn’t wow you in any way with his competitive spirit, but he shows enough that separates him slightly from other centers. He has a bit of nasty in his blocking, putting DTs on the turf fairly frequently. He’s very consistent and comes up big on the goal line, and gives at least normal effort.
Toughness: 6.5
Consistency: 6.5
Clutch Play: 6.5
Effort: 6.0

Football Character: 6.5 On field, Caldwell seems like a smart player who recognizes tendencies while making calls at the LOS. Smart player.
Personal Character: 5.5 Suspended four games in 2007 for his role in the Alabama Textbook Scandal. Google it, as I don’t want to clutter up the report with a lengthy description.
Durability: 6.5 Caldwell has the frame and the history to suggest he will be quite durable in the NFL.

Position Specific Skills
Play Strength: 6.5 Has plus strength for a center, able to handle many DTs 1v1.
vs Speed Rush: 6.5 Caldwell is quick off the snap and has good enough feet.
vs Bull Rush: 5.5 A major concern I have with Caldwell is his lack of anchor in the pocket.
Footwork: 6.0 Good footwork at the LOS, but lumbers just a little in space.
Hand technique: 6.5 Doesn’t have bad technique, but is a little susceptible when defenders club him. I suspect he will fix this.
2nd level blocking: 5.5 Sometimes has the quickness, but has trouble landing blocks while on the move.
Quickness off snap: 6.0 Sets up quickly in pass protection.
Proper Balance: 6.5 Has good balance due to wide stance.
Lateral Slide: 6.0 Rarely demonstrates his slide, but appears good enough to help the guard out on quicker defensive tackles.
Errors: 6.0 Largely error-free, and this grade could be a 6.5 except there seem to be more fumbled snaps than I’d expect from two experienced players… but for all I know, this is the QB’s fault.

Summary: Caldwell is a good player, but has a couple flaws I am afraid of. His inability to sustain against the bull rush and his troubles blocking on the move are major concerns, though the second is only a problem in zone systems. I don’t think he has the footspeed to play in a zone offense, but he can play for someone and will be a good starter who could be an asset. Also, while he has no experience playing guard, probably has enough size to move to guard in a pinch, though I worry about his troubles against the bull-rush. In the end, I don’t think he will be in Seattle as he isn’t a great fit due to his average athleticism, but he should find a place in the NFL for a man-blocking scheme.

Final Grade: 6.2 CC

Note: There is the chance that I will grade Caldwell in more games, for that reason I reserve the right to change this grade up til Caldwell is drafted.

Games Scouted: LSU, Auburn, Tennessee

Rashad Johnson, FS, Alabama

Name: Rashad Johnson
Position: FS
School: Alabama
Height: 5114 V
Weight: 195 V
40 Time: 4.50 E

Athleticism: 6.0
Johnson is not a bad athlete for an NFL safety, though he is nowhere near as fast or agile as the elite safeties in the league. He has decent speed and balance, but is perhaps a tad stiff changing directions, better suited to zone coverage.
Quickness: 6.0
Balance: 6.0
Fluidity: 6.0 (Borderline)

Physical Talents: 5.5

Very borderline physical talent. He’s about the size you’d like a cornerback to be, but lacks the explosion of a cornerback despite having a decent burst for a safety. I’m a little concerned that his frame will not add more weight easily, though that’s not my specialty. I won’t say he needs to add weight to play in the NFL, as there are a few safeties with his frame (like Brian Russell), but he will need to compensate for his frame in some other area. No explosion hitting.
Body Type: 5.0
Strength: 5.5
Explosion: 6.0

Polish: 6.5
Johnson is a very polished player, except in one major respect – he has no business tackling, at all. Rarely wraps up 1v1, and misses a lot of tackles you’d expect an NFL player to make. Otherwise, the safety who Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban calls one of the smartest players he has ever coached displays excellent polish, with exceptional understanding of the playbook and killer instincts.
Understands Playbook: 7.0
Proper Technique: 6.5
Instincts: 7.0

Competitiveness: 6.5
This is the same grade I gave Patrick Chung, though it is hard for me to give each the same grade, but they deserve the grade in different ways. Johnson sometimes appears tentative to work in trash, nothing glaring but he doesn’t relish contact like Chung, making me dock his toughness and effort a little bit. He is very consistent and makes huge plays at key moments and in key games, especially in coverage.
Toughness: 6.0
Consistency: 6.5
Clutch Play: 6.5
Effort: 6.0

Football Character: 7.0 Leader, film-room junky.
Personal Character: 5.5 Involved in an off-field incident in Feb. 2008. Pushed a bouncer in a bar to the ground as bouncer escorted another patron out of the building.
Durability: 6.5 Small frame is a concern, but has stayed healthy while starting the past two seasons in the SEC.

Position Specific Skills
Read & React: 6.5 – Johnson breaks down plays very well for a safety, even by NFL standards.
Man Coverage: 5.5 – A little high cut, and seemed a little vulnerable in man coverage.
Zone Coverage: 6.5 – Used to play deep zone coverage, excellent ball skills and decent speed.
Tackling Form: 5.0 – A terrible tackler who is a liability. Makes a lot of tackles due to instincts, but leaves a lot of tackles on the field.
Hit Power: 5.5 – Rarely explodes into the ball carrier, but occasionally makes a strong hit.
Blitz Ability: 6.0 – Never going to be a great blitzing S, but has enough speed and good enough hips to get around a slower player. Probably should keep him in coverage most plays.
Deep Speed: 6.0 – His speed is nothing special, however his deep coverage is above-average.
Block Shedding: 5.5 – Doesn’t fight off blocks very well at all, but takes good angles.
Ball Skills: 6.5 – Excellent receiver for a defensive player, I’ve seen several interceptions that required good hands and tracking, as well as a couple impressive PDs.
Errors: 6.5 – Rarely flagged, makes plays all over the field, almost never burned deep.

Summary: In some ways, Johnson is the coverage version of Oregon S Patrick Chung. Both are decent athletes, with Johnson being a little faster but significantly weaker. But while Chung is untested at best in coverage, Johnson is excellent in coverage. Chung, however, tackles significantly better than Johnson, who is a liability at this point. Johnson has some potential as a Cover-2 FS, making him a good fit on a team desperate to get rid of Brian Russell, but until Johnson improves his tackling he is not going to be a good starter. He has some potential to be an acceptable starter, but I wouldn’t take him until the late third round or early fourth.

Final Grade:  5.9

Notes: I might still grade John Parker Wilson, and the only interesting Alabama player in the draft on defense for Alabama is Johnson, so there is a chance I could come back and review some more games. For that reason, I reserve the right to change this grade until Johnson is chosen in the NFL Draft.

Games Scouted: LSU, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky

QB Mechanics – What Good Ones Are and What it Looks Like

DSAhawker probably has me spend more time answering questions than anyone else I’ve met, because he asks such great questions. In response to my Graham Harrell report (located in the QB page), DSA asked the following:

This comment isn’t directed at you…

But why is so much stock put into a player’s throwing motions, etc? I understand that if you throw off of your back leg, then you loose power, the ball floats, etc. Or if you throw side-armed, the ball can get knocked down, etc.

But there are so, so, so many times that I hear these experts/”experts” talking about a QB, where they’re like “man, he’s super accurate, has a really strong arm, a great QB. BUT he has an awkard release or mechanics, which hurts his stock.”

Well, if he’s super accurate and really strong armed…then why does it matter? If he can make the throws, do it accurately, then why does it matter that much? I do know why some do matter (a lot of throwing off the back foot for example)…but sometimes it just seems like they’re nitpicking and just trying to find something so they can rip into the player.

It’s like in basketball…we all know what a beautiful jumpshot looks like, however some people have janked up, horribly ugly shots, BUT they make their shots and they’re good scorers. IE: Shawn Marion. I’ll take Shawn Marion with his janked up shot over a bunch of players who have picture perfect jumpers.

If it is natural for them, and they’ve learned to use their skills/motions, it works and they get the job done…then why bring them down a notch just because they are unorthodox?
A proper throwing motion is important for several reasons, which I will address later. To begin, however, I think we should go over what a proper throwing motion is comprised of. Understand that I am basically self-educated on this, and for all I know, I am wrong. I think what I say will make sense, but then not everything that makes sense is necessarily right. I believe there are five steps required for a good throwing motion, but I’m not listing them in any real order. The first, a quick release, however, is probably what I personally value most.

1.) Windup. A good windup is pretty easy to spot if you’re paying attention, the ball should be held high (reduces unnecessary motion when throwing, reducing time. Also reduces risk of fumbles). That’s the firs step. The only other thing to look for is how quickly does the ball get out of there.  If you hold the ball high and the ball gets out quickly, you get some points. (Somewhat related is explosion – if a ball comes out of a quick release with no zip, it probably won’t get to the receiver any faster than a long release that explodes out of a guy’s hand)
(Who does this right? Peyton Manning. Who does this wrong? Ben Roethlisberger.)

2.) Release Point. Another easy one to spot for those scouting.  In general, you want the ball to be released as high as possible. This allows you some leeway in passing lanes, as more of the field becomes open for you to pass too.  It is important to consider a QB’s height as well as their arm motion in regards to this. Seneca Wallace has a nice, snappy, over the top delivery. But he’s 5′11 on a good day, so the ball is released 73 (est) inches off the ground. Joe Flacco releases the ball at his ear… but he’s 6′6, so the ball leaves the ground at 78 inches off the ground.
(Who does this right? Peyton Manning. Who does this wrong? Kurt Warner.)

3.) Proper Balance. This one is pretty obvious as well, now that I think about it. If you are throwing off-balance, it will be apparent on TV. Ideally, you should start the throwing motion with your weight somewhat evenly distributed. By the time you finish, you should have a majority of your weight on the front foot, for increased velocity. Can be related to height, as a shorter quarterback will often need to throw off balance to get the ball far enough off the ground to escape the LOS.
(Who does this right? Peyton Manning. Who does this wrong? Seneca Wallace.)

4.) Leg Push. This generates a good amount of velocity as well, and really helps reign in your accuracy. In the college ranks, this is where Tim Tebow is lacking, as well as with his release and somewhat with our fifth criteria, which will be revealed shortly. When you stride into your throws (pocket space permitted) you use your back leg to speed your body torque up, which decreases the release time and increases the velocity on the throw. It also applies consistency, because even if you have to alter a throw to get it past the LOS, a good leg push will keep your body throwing in the right direction, which means you can compensate for the release point being off.
(Who does this right? Peyton Manning. Who does this wrong? Derek Anderson.)

5.) Torque. This is somewhat related to leg push, as your leg push helps your upper body rotate properly. If your upper body does not move with your throws, then, however, your leg push is meaningless, and you’ll gain no velocity. A freakish arm can overcome the velocity issues, but it does hurt the accuracy significantly, as then the slightest inconsistency in your arm-motion can cause a pass to go flying the wrong direction. Your legs and torso limit where the ball can go, which is a good thing. If you just throw with your arm, unless your arm is perfectly consistent, your pass could go 2 yards over a reciever’s head or bounce a yard in front of him.
(Who does this right? Peyton Manning. Who does this wrong? JaMarcus Russell.)

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Yes, I realize this is answering more than just DSAhawker’s question, but I wanted to cover as much as possible with this answer, and this sets up the vocabulary for the answer to DSAhawker’s question. The five signs of good mechanics, as I will dub the above 5 descriptions, can be combined into two categories: Arm Motion and Body Motion. #1 and #2 comprise the Arm Motion, and #3-5 comprise the Body Motion. You can seperate them because you can have a very effective Arm Motion, even if your Body Motion is crap (JaMarcus Russell, please pick up the white courtesy phone). Likewise, you can have an effective Body Motion, even if your Arm Motion is flawed. However, unless you combine both, you’re likely going to struggle with consistency.
Which is why I included those comparisons. Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, Seneca Wallace, Derek Anderson, and JaMarcus Russell are all capable players in some way. Two years ago, Roethlisberger and Anderson looked like budding stars. Russell is still working on his mechanics, but given his non-existant help on the line or at reciever, he’s really not a bad quarterback (that said, he was doing better before Kiffin was fired). Kurt Warner is having a fantastic year, and Seneca Wallace played pretty darn well for having to do everything on his own. But, they’re all inconsistent. Anderson and Roethlisberger both had more turnovers than touchdowns, Warner was a backup journeyman not long ago, Seneca continues to struggle with his consistency, and Russell’s career hasn’t taken off yet. Among the reasons a good throwing motion is valuable, relates to consistency. Going back to the five steps:

1.) A quick delivery means that you won’t be hit as often and that defenses won’t jump routes as easily.

2.) A good release point cuts down on deflections at the LOS and on the turnovers that result from deflections.

3.) A balanced delivery means that the ball won’t sail on you if you have to release the ball a milisecond early to avoid a defletion, or dive to the turf if you’re a milisecond late as you wait for your reciever to get a little more open.

4 & 5.) Combined because one without the other is rather pointless. Getting your body into the throw cuts down on inaccurate passes and greatly increases velocity, while limiting strain on the arm (a big deal).

It isn’t that a guy cannot be successful with funky throwing mechanics, just as how there are short, slow WRs and small, minimally athletic Safeties.  But it means that there is that much more to overcome. The chance something goes wrong is far more likely when you play with bad throwing mechanics, as proper throwing mechanics reduce chaos. We all know how conservative football coaches are, so it is a big deal to reduce chaos.

——————————————————-

Lastly, there is the Charlie Frye effect. Charlie Frye, amazing as it sounds now, actually had more velocity on his tosses than anyone else in the 2005 draft. They measure MPH on tosses at the combine, in case you’re wondering how we notice this. He also looked good in college, completing those short ranged tosses with plenty of zip. Now, however, Charlie Frye is described by Football Outsiders as (paraphrased), “An example of what an NFL quarterback would look like if he has everything – Height, Smarts, Mobility, Toughness – except an NFL arm”. What went wrong? Well, I’m not sure what the Cleveland scouts would say, but in my opinion the system Frye was in shielded his velocity. Akron was running a short-passing game before it became cool to do so, and even 5′10 150lb Kyle Rota has impressive zip up until about 6 yards. Frye’s range was quite a bit more than mine, to be sure, but neither of us has the kind of velocity that is needed in the NFL. “But what about the combine tests?” You ask. Simple: It is a lot easier to put all your umph – and your mechanics – when that is all you are focused on. In the heat of a game, focused on the first down marker and the coverage and the pass rush, throwing an accurate pass, making sure you don’t toss an interception… well, it’s a lot harder to keep your mind focused on the proper throwing mechanics when your goal is not to throw with good mechanics but to get the pass in the air.

What does all that mean? Primarily, that you can’t judge a player’s throwing mechanics based on how they look in college, because every coach tries to minimize the things that make his quarterback look bad (hence why Matt Hasselbeck doesn’t go deep 20 times a game), and maximize the things that make his player look good. And you can’t trust your little radar gun, because throwing at the combine is different than throwing in the game.

———————–
Conclusion: Unorthodox isn’t necessarily bad – for exaple, Joe Flacco has a repeatable delivery even though his passes leave the ground at ear-level. Of course, being 6′6 with a super-quick windup helps. But, continuing with Flacco as our example, it puts more pressure on the quarterback to compensate in some other way if their throwing mechanics are unorthodox. Flacco compensates with height and a quick delivery. If he was 6′2 (The average height of HOF QBs) and had a release that was of average speed, that same release point would be a huge problem. Ben Roethlisberger has a sundial release, but he’s 6′5 240lbs so he can take the punishment and his arm is strong enough to somewhat make up for the slow release. If a quarterback is deficient on one of those five steps, he better be extraordinarily good at something else that makes up for it, because otherwise he’s likely to be too darn inconsistent to thrive in a league where a few errant passes caught by the opposition is a coach’s nightmare.

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

Name: Michael Crabtree
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Texas Tech
Height: 6026 E
Weight: 215 E
40 Time: 4.49 E

Athleticism: 6.0 Crabtree is a better athlete than he is given credit for, and will be a good athlete even by NFL standards. He has good but not great quickness, very good balance (especially with the ball), and has great hip flexibility. It may be the weakest aspect of his game, but he is hardly a stiff.
Quickness: 6.0
Balance: 6.5
Fluidity: 6.5

Physical Talents: 6.5 At 6’2.5 and 215lbs (both estimates), he possesses plus height and weight for a WR. Now, while I am no expert with analyzing future growth, I do think Crabtree can add muscle without diminishing his quickness. Crabtree’s strength and explosion seem comparable to players I’ve graded such as Juaquin Iglesias, not great but good enough to play in the NFL, and Crabtree has a size advantage over Iglesias.
Body Type: 7.0
Strength: 6.0
Explosion: 5.5

Polish: 7.0 For whatever reason, three of the four Texas Tech players I graded possess plus individual technique. Crabtree is one of those three. The thing that stands out most are Crabtree’s humongous hands, and how often he uses them. I didn’t realize how much everyone else I’ve graded body-caught until I watched Crabtree catch every pass with his hands. Crabtree also does an excellent job boxing out the CB and working back to the quarterback. It’s clear that Crabtree has a great sense of where he should be in the passing game, likely from having spent high school as a quarterback.
Understands Playbook: 7.0
Proper Technique: 6.5
Instincts: 7.0

Competitiveness: 7.0 This was the biggest surprise when I scouted him. Crabtree sustained an ankle injury against Oklahoma that is a major concern, but played through the pain even when it was obviously slowing him down. He also contributed hard-nosed blocks for his teammates, came up big in big situations (such as the winning TD against Texas that is all over the internet), and works doggedly to get open even when he isn’t the primary option.
Toughness: 7.0
Consistency: 6.5
Clutch Play: 7.0
Effort: 7.0

Football Character: 6.5 Doesn’t seem to be a prima-donna, has old-school toughness.
Personal Character: 6.0 Research shows a somewhat charismatic kid from a good background.
Durability: 5.5 That ankle scares me a bit. Tough enough to play with it, but needs to prove the ankle won’t be a problem.

Wideout Specific Skills:
Consistency Catching: 7.0 Always uses his hands to catch the ball. Always.
Initial Quicks: 6.0 Needs investigating. The two games I caught pre-injury, he largely got off the LOS quickly. However, in the other two games I noticed a false step (almost a skip) while running routes. If I can get more games prior to the injury I hope to give a better conclusion, but my feeling is that it was the result of his ankle injury.
Clean Release: 6.5 See false step concerns. Assuming that turns out just to be injury, he’s a 6.5.
Release vs Jam: 6.5/NA Rarely even attempted to jam at LOS, I don’t think he will be at the NFL level either, especially if he adds weight.
Routes: 6.5 May need a year to work up to this grade, but his only real error is rounding his deep outs. This isn’t a big problem, and is outweighed by how he sets up his break and leaves defenders guessing.
Tough Catches: 6.5 Does a lot over the smaller cornerbacks. Shields ball from defender well. Has plus body control and reaches out to pluck the ball.
Run After Catch: 6.5 When he cuts upfield quickly, big threat. Needs to use his strength more and dance less. Fights to stay upright and busts some big gains.
Deep Speed: 6.0 Crabtree’s deep speed is not good, but due to size, jumping, and hands he’s a decent deep threat.
Blocking: 6.0 Inconsistent in his effort. When play is his direction, blocks very hard and dominates a bit. When play is away from him, settles for walling off defender from play. Potential to reach 7.0 in a year or two if he is coached and works on his effort. Will be a plus even if he doesn’t.
Errors: 6.0 Only concern is fumbling, not a problem so far but he runs with the ball loose.

Summary: I know Seattle fans have been waiting for this since I started this blog, so this will be lengthy and hopefully comprehensive. Crabtree does a lot of things very well (catch, after-catch, works to get open, competitiveness), does a lot of things well with potential to improve quickly (blocking, routes, release), and the few things he needs to work on seem so minor I believe a good coach can fix them (ball security, possible false step) within a year or two. The only thing that will never be above-average for Crabtree is his pure speed, and I believe he is quick enough, as there are several WRs (smaller as well as larger than Crabtree) who have had big success with comparable or less speed. Everything else he needs to work on, I believe he will improve on and make it a plus, but even if he doesn’t his current skill-set is good enough to be a quality NFL receiver. What will make him great will be his drive to improve, and without having the opportunity to talk to him, his coaches or others who know him, I can only use his on-field tape to assume that he has the drive needed to correct the minor flaws in his game.
The other wildcard is his ankle. Here is my expertise with the ankle – I know it is around the foot. I have no medical expertise and to act like I know better than anyone else would be dishonest. This report is made with the assumption that the doctors who check him out will decide his ankle is just fine and he’s not a big risk to continue hurting the ankle. If the ankle is ruled to be a problem, I don’t take him in the first round, at all. WRs need those ankles too much to have to deal with that every week. However, if the ankle checks out, I believe Crabtree will become one of the top WRs in the NFL and will be a fan favorite for whatever team he joins.

Final Grade: 6.7 I

Note: In my quest to find out the truth about Crabtree’s false step, I could find more Texas Tech games and for that reason I reserve the right to change this grade until Crabtree is selected in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Games Graded: Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Baylor

Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech

Name: Graham Harrell
Position: Quarterback
School: Texas Tech
Height: 6020 E
Weight: 216V
40 Time: 4.75 E

Athleticism: 6.0
Graham is about as athletic as you’d expect from an NFL quarterback. He rarely scrambles, but when he does he demonstrate enough speed to move the chains if a defense isn’t in position to stop him. His throwing motion, on the rare occasions he throws off his front feet, show good balance and knee bend, but he rarely showcases that as he makes a lot of throws off his back foot.
Quickness: 6.5
Balance: 6.0
Fluidity: 6.0

Physical Talents: 5.5
This grade may seem harsh, but when trying to figure out where Harrell’s physical talents would rate compared to other quarterbacks, the only starter who I would argue has less talent is Drew Brees. Obviously, as Brees shows, this doesn’t mean he can’t be a great quarterback, but his mediocre height, complete lack of explosion, and small frame make him pale in comparison to NFL starters.
Body Type: 5.5
Strength: 5.5
Explosion: 5.0

Polish: 6.0
Graham Harrell is a very smart young man, but that only sometimes translates to the field. He has a good feel for the game, using some decent footwork to avoid pressure and buy time. He also seems to understand where his receivers are at all time, and I believe he will learn an NFL playbook quickly. However, Harrell does not make his reads quickly and is prone to holding onto the ball for a long time, which will bite him in the NFL. He also makes a ton of throws off his back foot, which is deadly when combined with his mediocre arm strength.
Understands Playbook: 7.0
Proper Technique: 5.5
Instincts: 6.5

Competitiveness: 6.5
For as much as I’d heard about Harrell’s heart, I was a little surprised that nothing jumped out at me. He’s tough enough, taking big hits to make throws, he’s quite consistent, gives top effort (looks to make a play even when it leaves him open to hits), and can make some clutch plays, but nothing wowed me. This is an area where you expect quarterbacks to score high, especially less-talented ones like Harrell.
Toughness: 6.0
Consistency: 6.5
Clutch Play: 6.5
Effort: 6.5

Football Character: 7.0 Sure, his technique needs work, but he’s definitely a hard worker who studies film and the playbook.
Personal Character: 6.5 Very smart kid, no blemishes.
Durability: 6.5 No real injury issues that I’m aware of, but his slight frame makes them possible as he transitions to the NFL.

Release: 5.0 Release is quick, but too often he throws off his back foot. When he throws balanced, he releases the ball pretty low in a 3/4ths motion much of the time.
Dropback: 5.0 Harrell will need to learn to drop back, as his only DB passes involved PA.
Arm Strength: 5.5 Not a lot of zip, but may have enough if he improves the rest of his game.
3rd Down Conversions: 6.0 For as good as TT was at converting 3^rd down, most of that goes to the RBs and WRs, as Harrell was nothing special on 3^rd downs. Good, not great.
Short Accuracy in Pocket 7.0 Has bad mechanics, but has done a good job completely short passes over the course of his career.
Long Accuracy in Pocket: 7.0 His deep ball is a bomb, but the rare times (about once a game) he threw over 26 yards, he completed it. (4/5 with 1 dropped TD pass).
Accuracy while moving: 7.0 Only threw shorter passes on the move, but due to Harrell’s familiarity with bad throwing mechanics, he’s accurate on the move.
Big Plays: 5.5 When he makes a big play, it’s due to the WR, not Harrell. Rarely throws more than ten yards downfield. Does a good job finding guys in a position to make the big play, but does not create them like some QBs.
Poise in Pocket: 6.5 Holds onto the ball for a long amount of time, which will need to change, but does a good job with his footwork to escape pressure.
Escapes from Pocket: 6.0 Does a good job flushing out, and has enough speed to get to the sideline while looking to throw.
Leadership: 6.5 Not a rah-rah type from what I saw, but is a leader and provides fire and ice as needed.
Reading Defenses: 6.5 He’s not at 6.5 yet, but I believe he will get there quickly. Occasionally looks right through a defender and suffers because of it, but takes good care of the football. Doesn’t make reads quickly, but does make them.
Big Errors: 6.5 Sometimes doesn’t see the defender, but usually plays fairly error-free.

Summary: Harrell is the type of quarterback I typically love, like Colt Brennan from a real conference. However, when I scouted him closely I notice a lot of flaws he will need to work on. He holds onto the ball forever, has no experience dropping back (indeed, on his PA passes he set up under center awkwardly), lacks a big arm (not a huge problem), has bad throwing mechanics (big problem), isn’t big (not so big a problem if he develops an over-the-top release), and can only throw one type of deep pass (bomb). While those passes exist in the NFL, rarely does a WR get 1v1 coverage against a corner with no possibility of safety help, which is the only coverage Harrell can throw against. He brings smarts and the potential for accuracy, as well as decent leadership credentials and good pocket awareness, but there is so much work needed for him to be a starter. For that reason, I give him a backup QB grade, as I can’t imagine him becoming a decent starter before his rookie contract expires.

Final Grade: 5.8

Note: It is possible I will scout more TT games, though I can’t think of compelling reason right now, and for that reason I reserve the right to change this grade.

Games Scouted: Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

New Mock Draft

Yeah, I know I’m a week late in this. Sorry!

Also, as a rule, I don’t put trade-downs in my mock.

1.) Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, UGA
While it is tempting to change this just because, I still think Stafford is the top rated player and I think believe the Lions will take a Quarterback unless they somehow trade down.
2.) St Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, LT, Virginia
I have no idea if the Rams are even thinking about Monroe, but the more I think about it the less likely I believe a Crabtree selection will take place here. Monroe currently ranks as the best tackle on several respectable draft sites, and while I am quite high on Oher, until I grade Monroe carefully (he didn’t impress the one game I graded) I can’t really dispute that. I think StL is more likely to take Monroe, as Oher’s questionable nastiness may sound to familiar of the concerns surrounding Alex Barron when he left Florida State.
3.) Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
The hiring of Scott Pioli from the New England Patriots changes this quite a bit (as did Bradford not declaring). Pioli does not seem to take WRs in the first round, and may well believe in his ability to find a good quarterback late in the draft. Curry is an excellent, safe linebacker who seems to fit a bit of a need with the very young Chiefs.
4.) Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
I bet this mock seems a lot more normal than the last one. While I am still high on Oher, I actually think he falls a bit the way this mock draft has played out. I just wrote the report on Crabtree, and he grades out very high and would fill an immediate need with the Seahawks.
5.) Cleveland Browns: Brian Cushing, LB, USC
Teammate and fellow LB Rey Maualuga dissappointed during his senior-bowl weigh in (looking undefined), and while I think that is bull, for now at least he is dropped on this Mock. Cushing, on the other hand, is a riser, and the Browns desperately need another rush-LB to pair up with Kamerion Wimbley in their defense.
6.) Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Oher, LT, Ole Miss
Since when have the Bengals worried about taking a possible headcase? While I think Oher is smart enough to handle the game, some teams likely will rule him out. Cincinnati needs a tackle in a bad way, and will get their choice of some top tackles in this draft. If Oher makes it to 6, I’d be surprised if he makes it to 7.
7.) Oakland Raiders: Jason Smith, LT, Baylor
I’m not convinced WR Jeremy Maclin won’t be the guy come April, but Al Davis would be smart (making this move unlikely) to invest a little in protecting JaMarcus Russell.
8.) Jacksonville Jaguars: BJ Raji, DT, Boston College
Initial reports are that Raji is impressing at the Senior Bowl, where he will definitely be in contact with the Jacksonville coaching staff. We’ve seen impressive Senior Bowl players drafted by Senior Bowl coaches, and Raji fills a giant need at defensive tackle.
9.) Green Bay Packers: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
With Green Bay shifting to a 3-4 defense, they are stuck with a big need in the middle, where current LB Nick Barnett is unlikely to thrive. Maualuga would be a great grab for the Packers here, as he would bring the intensity needed to revive a lackluster defense with plenty of talent.
10.) San Francisco 49ers: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
This pick scares me too much not to happen. If Sanchez makes it down to #10, which isn’t certain, the 49ers would be doing themselves a huge favor by taking the USC product and easing him in slowly to the offense. The best news for Seattle fans is that Sanchez may not make it this far down.

Fenuki Tupou, OG, Oregon

Unless I can get more Oregon games, I only have two games of Tupou to grade, so this is a little less specific report.

Name: Fenuki Tupou
Position: OG
School: Oregon
Height: 6503 E
Weight: 328lbs E

Pros: College LT who played on an excellent offensive line. Prototype size for the offensive line. Decent athlete who might be athletic enough to play right tackle for some teams. Immediately played well for Oregon in 2007 after transferring from JC. Has an understanding of hand use and uses his hands decently well. Understands positioning when sealing blocks. Footwork is pretty good. Not bad getting to the second level, some athleticism and good instincts.  Should be reasonably healthy.

Cons: More than anyone else I have graded, seems like “just a guy”. Beaten badly off the edge in the two games I’ve scouted, I wouldn’t put him at LT. Possibly due to spread offense, did not showcase the strength you’d expect from someone of his size, it’s hard to tell if the system is to blame or if he is. Sometimes would catch defenders instead of delivering a jolt with his hands. Since you’re moving him inside, I have some concerns about his nastiness. After his second game, I had concerns about whether he bends his knees enough, but was never able to verify it against UCLA because he was injured… could be coaching, as I have the same concerns about Max Unger.

Summary: I might have gone in with too high of expectations, because as an Oregon fan I really expected the offensive line to be dominant and Tupou the best member of that line. Unger looked like a better LT when he took over against UCLA (Tupou never suited up due to injury), but very small sample size as they moved Unger back to C before halftime. I have no desire to experiment with Tupou as a LT, and frankly I don’t think I’d make him a RT either, but he has a future at OG IF his leverage concerns and nastiness concerns are unwarranted… I’m concerned about his knee bend, and that’s vital on the OL. I’m not confident Tupou will ever be more than a good backup OG with the versatility to play RT in a pinch, and while such players are valuable in a way, I wouldn’t spend more than a 4th rounder on one.

Final Grade: 5.8

Patrick Chung, SS, Oregon

Name: Patrick Chung
Position: SS
School: Oregon
Height: 5106 E
Weight: 210 E
40 Time: 4.50 E

Athleticism: 6.0
Chung is a pretty good athlete who doesn’t wow you in any single way athletically. He is faster than advertised, with very good foot quickness only hurt by his shorter stride. He has very good balance and protects his legs well, and his change of direction is excellent in the box but somewhat suspect against WRs in deep coverage (plays it safe).
Quickness: 6.0
Balance: 6.0
Fluidity: 6.0 (Would be 6.5 changing directions 5.5 flipping hips to go backwards)

Physical Talents: 6.0
Chung is a pretty talented kid, but lacks the elite talent of top safeties. His frame is short for a safety, but very muscular. His strength is better than almost every safety I have graded, but this seems to be a particularly skinny class of safeties, and in the NFL his strength with be about average for a starting SS.
Body Type: 5.5
Strength: 6.0
Explosion: 6.0

Polish: 7.0
Chung plays like a kid with 51 career starts at a major football program. He was well suited to his role, and seemed to know what he was doing at all times. His instincts, especially against the run, are excellent (though his aggression against shorter routes sometimes gets him into trouble in coverage) and he is the best form tackler I’ve graded at any position this year.
Understands Playbook: 7.0
Proper Technique: 7.0
Instincts: 6.5

Competitiveness: 6.5
Chung is above-average to great in every measure of his competitiveness. He plays hard-nosed football, never gives wavering effort, is very consistent, and he makes big plays to start the game and in key situations.
Toughness: 6.5
Consistency: 6.5
Clutch Play: 6.5
Effort: 6.5

Football Character: 6.5 Leader who is also UO’s best ST player. Hard worker on and off the field.
Personal Character: 6.0 No problems. For what it is worth, I used to live with a couple of his teammates and he hates school, but I’m not sure that is relevant in any way.
Durability: 7.0 He’s started 51 games and can play through minor pains. Frame is a small concern, but I’d expect far more healthy years than unhealthy years.

Read & React: 6.5 – Chung’s instincts and smarts help him diagnose very quickly.
Man Coverage: 5.5 – Chung isn’t a huge liability, but NFL WRs will be able to get open against him when he shows man.
Zone Coverage: 5.5 – Shows good awareness, but in limited sample size did not make many positive plays in coverage. Really limited sample size, good enough to be in position due to instincts but didn’t catch him sealing the deal.
Tackling Form: 7.0 – Excellent tackler who will be a huge strength to his team.
Hit Power: 6.5 – Chung isn’t huge, but he has good explosion and makes strong, secure hits.
Blitz Ability: 6.5 – Chung has a good first few steps as an outside blitzer and can dip his shoulder to apply pressure.
Deep Speed: 5.5 – With his smarts, he should be able to compensate, but in very limited sample size didn’t show elite speed. Could easily deserve another grade, few chances in the games I graded.
Block Shedding: 6.0 – Uses his hands very well to fight off blocks.
Ball Skills: 5.5 – Goes for the big hit when he should go for ball, goes for ball when he should go for big hit. Could improve with time.
Errors: 6.0 – Occasionally flagged, otherwise plays mentally strong football.

Summary: Chung is a tough safety who excels in run support. He’s the 4^th safety I’ve graded and is easily the best tackling. However, he is not really big and not exceptionally fast. He can be asked to drop back in deep coverage sometimes, but is a poor fit to do so all the time. He covers well in the short field, blitzes well, and is very intelligent. I feel if placed in the right situation (not a Cover-2 like Seattle has run recently) Chung could be a very good starting safety. He also plays tough, smart football and excels on special teams.

Final Grade: 6.3

Notes: If I get lucky, I will obtain more Oregon games and revise my opinion on Chung. For that reason, I reserve the right to revise this grade up to Chung’s selection in the 2009 NFL draft.

Games Scouted: UCLA, Oregon State, Oklahoma State

Michael Oher, LT, Ole Miss

Name: Michael Oher
Position: OT
School: Ole Miss
Height: 6052 E
Weight: 309 E
40 Time: 5.00 E

Athleticism: 7.0
Michael is an excellent athlete for the LT position. He possesses great quickness, in fact he shows the ability to fire off the snap extremely fast at times, but lacks consistency. He has great balance and rarely ends up overextended. Oher plays with great knee-bend and can change directions quickly.
Quickness: 7.0
Balance: 6.5
Fluidity: 7.0

Physical Talents: 7.0
Oher has incredible physical talents. Were it not for Jonathan Ogden establishing the height/weight paradigm, I’d rate Oher’s body type even higher than a 7.0 (which is excellent), in fact I prefer the 6’5 to the 6’9 OT. He has minimal stomach fat and great girth in his legs. His strength is very good, but sometimes Oher doesn’t play with enough aggression to harness that strength. Oher has excellent explosion and a very quick first three steps – the number of steps it takes to reach the 2^nd level and turn to face a LB.
Body Type: 7.0
Strength: 6.5
Explosion: 7.0

Polish: 6.0
This is where most of the concerns about Oher live. I was relieved to see him do some smart things such as pick up stunting defensive tackles, but he also blew a blitz pickup that led to an interception. He seems to sometimes end up looking a little lost on the second level. He does play with very good hand technique, and when he locks onto a defender it’s usually over.
Understands Playbook: 5.5
Proper Technique: 6.5
Instincts: 6.0

Competitiveness: 6.0
This is another area where I have concerns. It isn’t that Oher isn’t competitive – he always finds a way to be in the lineup and plays through pain – but Oher has some problems with effort that cause him to be inconsistent. He has the talent to be a top-5 tackle in the NFL, and might be good enough to do it, but despite being a great college tackle he leaves opportunities on the field.
Toughness: 6.5
Consistency: 5.5
Clutch Play: 6.5
Effort: 5.5

Football Character: 6.5 – Has lost weight and added muscle since arriving at Ole Miss, worked hard to get into college academically. Well polished in individual technique.
Personal Character: 5.5 – Incident where he attacked a teammate for saying some nasty things about his adoptive mother and sister and ended up hurting a 3-year old who got in the way.
Durability: 7.0 – Great frame and very tough means he will rarely miss games.

Play Strength: 6.5 – Excellent strength and pancakes DEs, but often plays passive.
vs Speed Rush: 6.5 - Rarely beaten by speed, even against the quick FLA DEs.
vs Bull Rush: 6.0 – It is possible to get pressure on a bull-rush due to inconsistent effort, but Michael’s hand technique is good enough to make disengaging tough.
Footwork: 7.0 - Oher has excellent footwork and maximizes his athletic ability.
Hand technique: 6.5 – Oher has very good hand technique placement, but could stand to deliver more jolt with his hands.
2nd level blocking: 6.0 – Oher is great getting to the second level, but is inconsistent locating who to block. Sometimes looks great, other times average.
Quickness off snap: 6.5 – You can’t go around him, and while his first step off the LOS isn’t incredible, his second and third steps are.
Proper Balance: 6.5 – Plays with good balance, keeps his butt low in pass protection and has natural knee bend.
Lateral Slide: 7.0 – The best college pass rushers I saw (TT and FLA DEs) were able to challenge the corner, but none actually beat Oher outside.
Errors: 5.5 – Occasionally flagged, but more concerning he looks lost 2-3 plays a game.

Summary: Oher is a frustrating prospect to scout. I’m not commenting about his off-field work habits, but on the field he often does just enough to complete his assignment despite his talent to dominate his opponent every play. He does, however, finish his assignments. If he used his legs more as a run-blocker he’d be excellent in that role, but as it is he is acceptable in a scheme that doesn’t ask OL to blow their guy off the ball (ideally a zone scheme would suit him well). Oher will have to prove that he can mentally grasp the game, and while he does make a few mistakes, it was actually fewer than I expected and not an overwhelming problem. There is no way I would draft Oher without interviewing him extensively, but if he checks out (and I think he will) as intelligent enough to play in the NFL, he is physically gifted enough to be a franchise LT for the right team.

Final Grade: 6.5 CC

Note: It is possible that I will watch more Ole Miss and change Oher’s grade. For that reason, I reserve the right to edit this grade until Oher is selected in the 2009 NFL draft.

Edit: Changed grade, as his inconsistency worries me a bit at a position where 1 sack a game is a disaster. May change up or down as I debate it in my head.

Smith up, Oher up soon

Hello everyone,
Sorry for the infrequency of updates lately. I’ve been way behind on scouting and been working to catch up. New quarter of school plus finally buying a new car has kept me rather busy, but I am settling in now and will be trying to gt one game a day done, or 2-3 players a week. I just put Andre Smith of Alabama up, and Michael Oher will follow him tomorrow. Oher is 90% done, but I want to catch the bowl game against TT. If I don’t put Oher up tomorrow, send me nasty e-mails til I do, because sometimes I get distracted (had everything except Smith’s height/weight done a week ago).

Anyways, I’ll have Oher done tomorrow, and something on Peria Jerry (I’ve had a hard time getting a solid feel for him… He doesn’t seem all that good to me, but he’s the only DT I’ve graded so I want to make sure I have realistic expectations), whether it be a full report or not depends on the quality of the tape I have. Mike Wallace, a speedy WR for Ole Miss, will also have something short on him. They’ll make it up fairly soon, I hope. Fenuki Tupou and Patrick Chung of Oregon I’m halfway done with and they should be up here in the next 4 days as well. Chung looks really promising for some team, and he fits Ruskell’s specifications to a “T” if Mora plans on establishing a more traditional free/strong safety setup.

Anyways, just keeping you all informed and thanks for continuing to read one man’s opinions. With that said, I am going to bed.