Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Arkansas:
15-QB Ryan Mallett:
If any QB in this class looks the part of a dynamic passer, it's Mallett. He stands super tall at the back of the pocket...and he throws with exemplary zip---tight spirals---over-the-top release---even coils up to throw when on the move, and can flat-out gun it in there. His passes come out fast and hot.
2010 Stats: 266/411, 64.7%, 3,969 yds. 32-12 TD/INT, 163.65 rating.
Plays with spunk...wears his heart on his sleeve...works hard...has a hunger for lighting up the scoreboard...
Seems to get flat-footed under pressure...not particularly nifty at avoiding pressure, nor does he sense it as quickly as you'd want...
Late in big games, like the Alabama and LSU games, both times with leads, he forced balls into coverage downfield and was picked off...and then was picked off a second time late versus Alabama when he made the mistake of trying to throw the ball away 25 yards down the field, instead of simply throwing it out just beyond the chains. Boneheaded mistake in a winnable game, for sure....one of the reasons why the scouts give him questionable grades with regard to decision making.
45-TE D.J. Williams:
Looks like a FB playing TE---short and stocky---but he catches everything in sight and he has a nifty array of spin and juke moves on his RACs. Plus, what I like about him as much as how easily he slides open and catches the ball, is that when he is not able to make a spin or juke move, he lowers his shoulder into the tackler and, in doing so, protects the football and does not get driven backward.
3-WR Joe Adams:
Solid, physical WR who gets the job done as a receiver and especially as a downfield blocker.
But the real WR studs on this team are 4-Jarius Wright (Jr.) and 11-Cobi Hamilton (Soph.). Greg Childs (Jr.) is a big target who needs to play with more burst and fire.
Alabama:
12-QB Greg McElroy:
A master of orchestrating long 14-15 play TD drives---plays disciplined, very well within himself and the game plan---has a penchant for sensing pressure and providing the nifty feet (feet that remind me somewhat of Tom Brady's) as he buys just enough time to convert a key third down. While he does not have a rocket arm, McElroy is a timing passer who delivers the ball on time and on the money, even on the strikes 20-25 yards downfield, which may surprise you the more you look. Plays super tough and poised.
2010 Stats: 222/313, 70.0%, 2,987 yds., 20-5 TD/INT, 169.0 rating.
Threw one forced interception over the middle into the end zone during the Arkansas game---but rebounded to rally the team for a come from behind win. Uses all of his personnel well (throws to a variety of receivers)---does not play favorites---just focusses on finding and hitting the open man. He's also a threat to run from the pocket---twice he extended drives by running from the pocket---and one was an amazing tight rope tiptoe up the sidelines for the extra five yards he needed for the first down.
After watching this game I was hungry to back and watch three other games...ones I had watched a month or so ago---
(1) The 2009 SEC Championship Game versus Florida and Tim Tebow. Talk about being the master of the long 14-15 play TD drives...McElroy was Warner-esque in this game...as he and Bama offense skillfully managed to keep Tebow and the Florida offense off the field for major time chunks---which frustrated the Gators and paved the way for a lopsided win.
(2) The 2009 NCAA Championship game versus Texas. Colt McCoy was not the only injured QB in that game. McElroy was hit repeatedly in this game---he took 5 sacks and on one of the earlier ones he suffered a painful rib injury, but kept on playing and did what he had to do to make sure Bama won the game.
(3) The 2010 Capital One Bowl versus Michigan St. McElroy put on a QB clinic in this game---his last game as a college player. Interstingly, Bama played quite a bit of the one back "Pistol" formation and McElroy distributed the ball evenly to all members of the offense---throwing virtually every pass on a dime and showing excellent footwork and ballhandling skills on the handoffs, fakes and waggles.
This kid may not wow anyone with arm strength, but he's tough, fiercely determined, smart and accurate. He is a coaches dream---because he can execute a game plan the way you draw it up...and he won't make the boneheaded plays that beat you. He would rather take a shot to the ribs than throw the ball up for grabs.
8-WR Julio Jones:
If I had to decide between A.J. Green and Julio Jones, man, that would be tough---but, I would lean toward Jones because he's faster and more physcial. Some scouts dwell on a few of Jones' dropped passes as a determining factor in deciding between Green and Jones. OK, fine. But, I think they are overstating it. This past season he caught 78 passes for 1,113 yards (14.5 ypc) and 7 TDs and rushed the ball 8 times for 135 yards (16.9 ypr) and 2 TDs...while playing a bulk of the games with a broken hand.
A.J. Green averaged 14.9 ypc for 848 yds. and 9 TDs---so the numbers are quite similar, save that Jones caught more passes and had 165 more yards---or 300 more yards if you factor in the rushing yardage.
In the LSU game---check out the 65 yard hitch pass TD Jones scored late in the game to take the lead. Jones' 0-to-60 acceleration is electrifying.
15-WR Darius Hanks:
I really like this kid...tough...great blocker...good hands...solid route runner. 2010 stats: 32/456/14.2 ypc/3 TDs/at 6-0, 190.
Keep an eye on WR Marquis Maze...this kid is an excellent prospect for the 2012 draft.
85-TE/FB Preston Dial:
Versatile...more ahtletic than he's given credit for...very good hands...and puts all he has into his blocks...saw him flatten an Arkansas DB in leading on a TD run. Very competitive. Not particularly big---but a high effort guy with solid skills.
22-RB Mark Ingram:
He even wears Emmitt Smith's number---which is fitting because he plays just like him. Runs with outstanding balance, control and a low center of gravity...finds a crease and exploits it to the fullest...and just like Emmitt he's hard to get a good lick on...he knows how to avoid taking direct shots and still manages to fight for extra yards every time he can. Pretty good receiver out of the backfield as well. Imo, one of the top ten propects in this draft and will be worth every penny of his contract.
57-DE Marcell Dareus:
Can rip and get after the QB as quickly as any lineman in this year's draft---but, his motor runs hot and cold. He takes a lot of plays off---and gets locked up too easily at times. He reminds me a lot of what Darnell Dockett looked like as a senior in college---sudden and dynamic on some plays, tied up on most others.
77-T Paul Carpenter:
Hard player to evaluate. Has the size and strength you want and like. Holds his ground well, but it seems his defensive man always gets in the first shot---which Carpenter withstands well most of the time---but it causes him to bow his back, raise his head and lean backward---and this is both on running plays and in pass pro. From there, Carpenter exhbits very strong hands and can steer his man in one direction---but his footwork is sloppy and this is what may eat him up in the pros. I was hoping to be more impressed the second time watching him snap after snap, but actually I was less impressed. The kid works hard and he's very competitive, but his technique is not good at all and his feet are not quick enough for him to be a legitmate starting tackle prospect. And because he doesn't get off the ball and play with a lower pad level I can't see him being an effective guard either, that is, unless he corrects his bad habits.
LSU:
7-CB Patrick Peterson:
Best athlete on the field. Plays hard and physcially...which is unusual for a player with his elite speed.
He's all the athlete you'd want and he is an electrifying punt returner...but what I could not figure out when I watched his games is why particularly late in games with the games on the line (as in the Alabama 2010 and Georgia 2009 games), the coaches did not have him matched up versus Julio Jones or A.J. Green---and both of them toasted the Tigers with late go-ahead TDs---Jones on a 65 yard hitch pass and Green on a 10 yard fade into the end zone (this game was in 2009, note: LSU came back and answered with a 30 yard TD run by none other than Charles Scott---the RB the Cardinals traded Jorrick Calvin for last summer---and who was cut a week a later).
In the Arkansas game this year---Mallett lit up LSU's secondary like a torch, even completing an unthinkable 68 yard TD on a skinny post with seconds to go in the first half that Cobi Hamilton took for the distance---and Peterson got hung up unnecessarily by a blocker downfield, then overpursued and, worst of all, got turned around. Not the kind of play or effort you would expect from a top 5 player in the draft.
I just find it curious as to how Peterson was used at LSU...they really didn't lock him down on the other team's best WR nearly as often as you would think. I wonder why.
That said, he's an elite athlete---and a tough kid.
15-QB Ryan Mallett:
If any QB in this class looks the part of a dynamic passer, it's Mallett. He stands super tall at the back of the pocket...and he throws with exemplary zip---tight spirals---over-the-top release---even coils up to throw when on the move, and can flat-out gun it in there. His passes come out fast and hot.
2010 Stats: 266/411, 64.7%, 3,969 yds. 32-12 TD/INT, 163.65 rating.
Plays with spunk...wears his heart on his sleeve...works hard...has a hunger for lighting up the scoreboard...
Seems to get flat-footed under pressure...not particularly nifty at avoiding pressure, nor does he sense it as quickly as you'd want...
Late in big games, like the Alabama and LSU games, both times with leads, he forced balls into coverage downfield and was picked off...and then was picked off a second time late versus Alabama when he made the mistake of trying to throw the ball away 25 yards down the field, instead of simply throwing it out just beyond the chains. Boneheaded mistake in a winnable game, for sure....one of the reasons why the scouts give him questionable grades with regard to decision making.
45-TE D.J. Williams:
Looks like a FB playing TE---short and stocky---but he catches everything in sight and he has a nifty array of spin and juke moves on his RACs. Plus, what I like about him as much as how easily he slides open and catches the ball, is that when he is not able to make a spin or juke move, he lowers his shoulder into the tackler and, in doing so, protects the football and does not get driven backward.
3-WR Joe Adams:
Solid, physical WR who gets the job done as a receiver and especially as a downfield blocker.
But the real WR studs on this team are 4-Jarius Wright (Jr.) and 11-Cobi Hamilton (Soph.). Greg Childs (Jr.) is a big target who needs to play with more burst and fire.
Alabama:
12-QB Greg McElroy:
A master of orchestrating long 14-15 play TD drives---plays disciplined, very well within himself and the game plan---has a penchant for sensing pressure and providing the nifty feet (feet that remind me somewhat of Tom Brady's) as he buys just enough time to convert a key third down. While he does not have a rocket arm, McElroy is a timing passer who delivers the ball on time and on the money, even on the strikes 20-25 yards downfield, which may surprise you the more you look. Plays super tough and poised.
2010 Stats: 222/313, 70.0%, 2,987 yds., 20-5 TD/INT, 169.0 rating.
Threw one forced interception over the middle into the end zone during the Arkansas game---but rebounded to rally the team for a come from behind win. Uses all of his personnel well (throws to a variety of receivers)---does not play favorites---just focusses on finding and hitting the open man. He's also a threat to run from the pocket---twice he extended drives by running from the pocket---and one was an amazing tight rope tiptoe up the sidelines for the extra five yards he needed for the first down.
After watching this game I was hungry to back and watch three other games...ones I had watched a month or so ago---
(1) The 2009 SEC Championship Game versus Florida and Tim Tebow. Talk about being the master of the long 14-15 play TD drives...McElroy was Warner-esque in this game...as he and Bama offense skillfully managed to keep Tebow and the Florida offense off the field for major time chunks---which frustrated the Gators and paved the way for a lopsided win.
(2) The 2009 NCAA Championship game versus Texas. Colt McCoy was not the only injured QB in that game. McElroy was hit repeatedly in this game---he took 5 sacks and on one of the earlier ones he suffered a painful rib injury, but kept on playing and did what he had to do to make sure Bama won the game.
(3) The 2010 Capital One Bowl versus Michigan St. McElroy put on a QB clinic in this game---his last game as a college player. Interstingly, Bama played quite a bit of the one back "Pistol" formation and McElroy distributed the ball evenly to all members of the offense---throwing virtually every pass on a dime and showing excellent footwork and ballhandling skills on the handoffs, fakes and waggles.
This kid may not wow anyone with arm strength, but he's tough, fiercely determined, smart and accurate. He is a coaches dream---because he can execute a game plan the way you draw it up...and he won't make the boneheaded plays that beat you. He would rather take a shot to the ribs than throw the ball up for grabs.
8-WR Julio Jones:
If I had to decide between A.J. Green and Julio Jones, man, that would be tough---but, I would lean toward Jones because he's faster and more physcial. Some scouts dwell on a few of Jones' dropped passes as a determining factor in deciding between Green and Jones. OK, fine. But, I think they are overstating it. This past season he caught 78 passes for 1,113 yards (14.5 ypc) and 7 TDs and rushed the ball 8 times for 135 yards (16.9 ypr) and 2 TDs...while playing a bulk of the games with a broken hand.
A.J. Green averaged 14.9 ypc for 848 yds. and 9 TDs---so the numbers are quite similar, save that Jones caught more passes and had 165 more yards---or 300 more yards if you factor in the rushing yardage.
In the LSU game---check out the 65 yard hitch pass TD Jones scored late in the game to take the lead. Jones' 0-to-60 acceleration is electrifying.
15-WR Darius Hanks:
I really like this kid...tough...great blocker...good hands...solid route runner. 2010 stats: 32/456/14.2 ypc/3 TDs/at 6-0, 190.
Keep an eye on WR Marquis Maze...this kid is an excellent prospect for the 2012 draft.
85-TE/FB Preston Dial:
Versatile...more ahtletic than he's given credit for...very good hands...and puts all he has into his blocks...saw him flatten an Arkansas DB in leading on a TD run. Very competitive. Not particularly big---but a high effort guy with solid skills.
22-RB Mark Ingram:
He even wears Emmitt Smith's number---which is fitting because he plays just like him. Runs with outstanding balance, control and a low center of gravity...finds a crease and exploits it to the fullest...and just like Emmitt he's hard to get a good lick on...he knows how to avoid taking direct shots and still manages to fight for extra yards every time he can. Pretty good receiver out of the backfield as well. Imo, one of the top ten propects in this draft and will be worth every penny of his contract.
57-DE Marcell Dareus:
Can rip and get after the QB as quickly as any lineman in this year's draft---but, his motor runs hot and cold. He takes a lot of plays off---and gets locked up too easily at times. He reminds me a lot of what Darnell Dockett looked like as a senior in college---sudden and dynamic on some plays, tied up on most others.
77-T Paul Carpenter:
Hard player to evaluate. Has the size and strength you want and like. Holds his ground well, but it seems his defensive man always gets in the first shot---which Carpenter withstands well most of the time---but it causes him to bow his back, raise his head and lean backward---and this is both on running plays and in pass pro. From there, Carpenter exhbits very strong hands and can steer his man in one direction---but his footwork is sloppy and this is what may eat him up in the pros. I was hoping to be more impressed the second time watching him snap after snap, but actually I was less impressed. The kid works hard and he's very competitive, but his technique is not good at all and his feet are not quick enough for him to be a legitmate starting tackle prospect. And because he doesn't get off the ball and play with a lower pad level I can't see him being an effective guard either, that is, unless he corrects his bad habits.
LSU:
7-CB Patrick Peterson:
Best athlete on the field. Plays hard and physcially...which is unusual for a player with his elite speed.
He's all the athlete you'd want and he is an electrifying punt returner...but what I could not figure out when I watched his games is why particularly late in games with the games on the line (as in the Alabama 2010 and Georgia 2009 games), the coaches did not have him matched up versus Julio Jones or A.J. Green---and both of them toasted the Tigers with late go-ahead TDs---Jones on a 65 yard hitch pass and Green on a 10 yard fade into the end zone (this game was in 2009, note: LSU came back and answered with a 30 yard TD run by none other than Charles Scott---the RB the Cardinals traded Jorrick Calvin for last summer---and who was cut a week a later).
In the Arkansas game this year---Mallett lit up LSU's secondary like a torch, even completing an unthinkable 68 yard TD on a skinny post with seconds to go in the first half that Cobi Hamilton took for the distance---and Peterson got hung up unnecessarily by a blocker downfield, then overpursued and, worst of all, got turned around. Not the kind of play or effort you would expect from a top 5 player in the draft.
I just find it curious as to how Peterson was used at LSU...they really didn't lock him down on the other team's best WR nearly as often as you would think. I wonder why.
That said, he's an elite athlete---and a tough kid.
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