Scouting the 2008 Centers

Gus — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:47:24 +0000

No offensive line can be effective without a great center, and here the best ones that are going to be eligible for the draft on Saturday.

1	78	Lichtensteiger	Kory	Bowling Green	OC	6022v	298v	5.28v	G
	Four year regular. Very good player although not impressive to look at physically (short arms). Good balance and quick feet. Very tough and nasty. Very smart and aware (makes all front calls). Quick to the second level. Shows good knee bend and leverage on his blocks. Struggled with big people on pass protection, but never stopped working. A blue coller player, who plays the game with passion and heart. Has strong second day draft consideration.
2	76	Pollak	Mike	Arizona St	OC	6034v	301v	4.99v	I
	A good serviceable football player, but I didn’t think he was particularly strong or effective at the point of attack. but going to have some real problem with big people inside. Is smart, experienced took good angles and plays on his feet. On pass pro, looked around well, was a good knee bender and overall athletic skills. Not a nasty individual and is never going to be a big finisher, but has solid play skills and should become a steady swingman inside. Round 4 – 5
3	74	Justice	Steve	Wake Forest U	OC	6033v	290v	5.29v	G
	Has a pre existent condition which required his parents had to sign a waiver in order to play at Wake each season (no apparent effect in his play). Has athletic ability, experience and intelligence. Good athlete with toughness. Can reach effectively playside. Had problems with big people on his nose. Lacks core strength and rear power. Solid football player who could develop into a steady professional.
4	78	Sullivan	John	Notre Dame	OC	6034v	301v	5.39v	F
	Disappointed with his play in 2007. Is an experienced hand with intelligence, but was surprisingly not a natural knee bender (extensive wrestling background) and didn’t get consistent fits inline. On pass pro didn’t appear able to drop his base and make a stand vs a power rush. Had some very untimely gun snap errors in 07. Round 5 to 7 draft consideration.
5	70	Wallace	Cody	Texas A&M	OC	6042v	296v	5.31v	F
	Over achiever. Not a supple athlete, but is tough, experienced and durable. Had problems with people on his nose. Not strong at the point of attack. Just adequate contact balance. Tough, nasty individual. Journeyman player who has the potential to fill in at the OG spot. Problems with the bull rush. If he goes to a club that employs a zone blocking scheme (slide protection) could play a long time. Mid to late second day draft consideration (5 – 6).
6	71	Richard	Jameson	Buffalo U	OC	6046v	297v	5.12v	F
	A limited athlete, but was tough, strong, and very physical. Gets after people and showed better then expected upper body leverage. Good angles to 2nd level, but was inconsistent to sustain. Will also overplay or miss the target. On pass protection, showed adequate anchor when working against the bull rush. Is going to need some work, but was very pleased with his work throughout the season. Would give 6th to 7th round draft consideration.
7	69	Spanos	Matt	USC	OC	6053v	322v	5.39v	F
	Stepped into a starting role with an injury this past year and played far better then expected. Is both big and strong, but was not an explosive player. . Walls off effectively and worked well in tandem. Improved with each passing game. Not an especially good athlete but will fight you to the end. Played much of the season with a triceps injury which need to be repaired. Has an outside chance of being drafted, but is more likely a priority free agent within the league.
8	67	Miller	Drew	Florida U	OC	6046v	302v	5.30e	F
	Doesn’t play big. Lacks functional playing strength and finishing skills. Is smart and plays with savvy, but will have a particularly tough time blocking big people at the next level. On pass protection,I didn’t think he had near enough physical ability to handle a professional defender. Is smart, experienced and has lined up at both OG and the OC position, but lacks the necessary skills to play. Marginal free agent.
9	72	Bujnoch	Glen	Cincinnati U	OC	6046v	285v	5.24v	G
	Dad (Glen) played with the Bengal’s. Undersized player with limited play strength. Great kid with size potential, experience and good intangibles. I thought he played too rigid. Playing a tackle position, but did work at the center position in the spring and appears physically far better suited to project inside in the professional ranks. Will have get stronger and to do a far better job of keeping his pads down to play the OC position, but has a chance.

Scouting the 2008 Defensive End’s

Gus — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:35:01 +0000

This is an inside and in depth look at the 2008 class of DE’s. The list has been compiled by NFL scout Tom Marino, who has over 35 years of experience and is one of the most well respected scouts in the business. For all the draft enthusiasts out there this is the kind of hard hitting information that you are after. I will be bringing you the scouting reports for every position over the next week or so as we gear up for the 2008 NFL Draft. On this list you will find the player, his school, his height and weight and their 40 time.
91	Long	Chris	Virginia U	DE	6030v	272v	4.81v
Quality individual and player. Finishes everything. Great playing character, tenacity and toughness. Good initial get off, sees things quickly, reacts, and shows excellent play range. Rare backside effort. Wasn’t as nifty as I expected (bend and trim the edge). Great bend and core strength. More of a self made player then a natural talent. Great leverage meeting and playing off blocks. The ultimate team guy. Top defensive player in the country.
91	Harvey	Derrick	Florida U	DE	6045v	271v	4.89v
Smooth athletic player with excellent speed, get off quickness and impressive edge rush skills. Like his stride length, hand quicks, counter moves and close. Effectively worked down inside and get to the ball. Run down player who can drop his base and stack. Seldom on the ground and on the rare occasion that he was bounced up quickly and got back into the play. Didn’t see much I didn’t like or can’t be improved. The real deal. Slam dunk # 1
50	Gholston	Vernon	Ohio St	DE	6030v	266v	4.59v
Great physical presence. Has blacksmith arms, broad shoulders and thick muscular torso, but even with 14 sack and rare speed, I don’t consider him a natural pass rusher (paper production). Not an edge rusher (not nifty and lacks hand moves). A power rusher with a motor that doesn’t always run on high. Disappointing in space. More of an inside type, but is never going to have the mass to project.. Rare numbers, but I wouldn’t draft with my 1st selection.
54	Groves	Quentin	Auburn U	DE	6030v	259v	4.57v
Has had some off field issues which will need to be addressed. Former OB. Lean looking cut up athlete. Has a hot and cold playing motor. Undersized to factor as down linemen full time (not good match up) and needs space to operate, but has rare take off skills and the ability to close on the ball. Excellent playing range. Can retrace his steps and run down the ball carrier from the backside. Was run at some. Late 1st round consideration.
81	Campbell	Calais	Miami U	DE	6076v	290v	5.01v
Has lots of skills, play strength, initial get off quickness, but has a tendency to lose his focus. Has good COD and can really close on the ball. Very good inside counter move as a pass rusher. Huge wing span will pose a major problem for QB’s within the league. Very nimble big man, but is not there yet. Top round draft potential.
94	Merling	Philip	Clemson U	DE	6042v	276v	4.80e
More physical vs the run then I expected. Liked his intensity. Disruptive. Good range and versatility. Showed a tendency to play to high, but I loved his motor, quickness, toughness and the ability to finish. Good backside effort and playing range. Locates the ball on the inside. needs better point strength. Could have some nickel inside pass rush potential with maturity. Round # 1
49	Ellis	Chris	Virginia Tech	DE	6042v	263v	4.76v
Is a three year regular. Is an athlete who runs particularly well, has quick hands, good feet and pleanty of range. I liked the way he was able to consistently leverage the point (flexibility) and sheding blocks when playing the run. Vs the pass, I liked his get off quicks, stride length, bend at the top and close. Uses hands well can can convert speed to power. Needs to continue to make strides with maturity off the field. Round # 2
54	Jackson	Lawrence	USC	DE	6042v	271v	4.86v
Saw him as somewhat of an under achiever, but he has the skills to become a factor as a 4-3 pass rusher. Has good range, quickness. Has natural pass rush skills (quick hands, gets small at the top of the rush and the ability to close on the ball). Vs the run, will need to improve his overall body strength. Was run at with some success (got his pads up). Wouldn’t pull the switch too quickly with this player. Late 2nd mid 3rd consideration.
32	Avril	Cliff	Purdue U	DE	6027v	251v	4.63v
A 3-4 outside backer prospect who overall was somewhat disappointing. Got stuck on blocks and wasn’t particularly effective in his movement away from the ball. More of a “Sam backer” prospect and nickel rusher. Did show some short area pop when meeting blocks and the ball carrier. Has some natural leverage. Looks to have strong contributing back up potential within the league. Round 3 to 4 consideration.
90	Robertson	Darrell	Georgia Tech	DE	6037v	255v	4.75e
A very good athlete who played on his feet and covered a great deal of range. I liked his leverage and use of hands when meeting blocks. Good feet and balance (plays with bent knees). Got moved around by big people but didn’t stay blocked. As a pass rusher, really came hard on the outside (gains ground). Does not convery speed to power at this time, but with maturity should develop. Has strong 3rd to 4th round draft potential.
92	Iwebema	Kenny	Iowa U	DE	6040v	274v	5.00v
A talented player but something appears to be missing. Way too up and down. Showed good initial quickness and used his hands well, but seldom finished anything. Can converts speed to power, but too often just hung on blocks. Would like to have seen more consistent pad level. Has ability but needs further skill refirement and consistency. Late 3rd consideration, but is more likely a 4th round playing talent.
38	Howard	Marcus	Georgia U	DE	6004v	239v	4.51v
Undersized rocked up DE. Highly explosive & the speed to pose a real problem for a lot of tackles in nickel. Questionable instinctive & playing background, but there is no doubt what he can do on 3rd & long (nickel rusher). Physical explosive tackler. Vs the run, got covered up & was generally ineffective. Plays fast and is very tough, but can never be an every down guy. Good teams potentiial. A Robert Mathis clone.
44	Davis	Bruce	UCLA	DE	6025v	252v	4.83v
Undersized player who was a pass rusher first and foremost. I felt he was a very good athlete who can run and close as a outside speed rusher. Disappointing effort and competes within the running game. I didn’t think his motor always ran on high when chasing backside . Proved tio be ineffective in a two point stance. A one dimentional player who should warrent mid round draft consideration (4 – 5).
98	Thompson	Jeremy	Wake Forest U	DE	6043v	264v	4.77v
A three year starter predominately on the right side. Has the quickness you look for when engaging blocker defending the run, but I also thought he got his pads up, thus negating his power. Didn’t always finish or chase backside. Has potential as a pass rusher (good hand use, stride length and closing speed, but unless he beat people off the go, lacks the necessary body strength to defeat big people at this time. Round 5 – 6 consideration.
89	Scott	Trevor	Buffalo U	DE	6052v	252v	4.62v
Converted TE who has been banged up, but has measurable and athletic potential. I liked his motor & playing character (great energy). Not a lot of know-how at this stage or strength, but has some natural pass rush moves coming off the edge. Needs to shed blocks more effectively and finish. Also appeared to wear down working against big people (stamina)? Has tools and could develop in time. Draft consideration round 5 – 6.
92	Harrington	Chris	Texas A&M	DE	6043v	264v	4.86v
A little bit of a tweener. Is a good worker who played with a good deal of energy. As an outside pass rusher came off the ball (good stride length), but lacked the bend at the top of the rush (far more effective as a junior). Vs the run, was not a stout physical player. Was marginal to get off block and make plays. Has some athletic ability and quickness, but is more of a back up player at the next level. Round 5 – 6 draft potential.
98	Langford	Kendall	Hampton U	DE	6054v	287v	5.01v
Showed initial quickness on his get off, but does not play with a lot of power and or strength. Sharted each game viewed with a lot of energy, but had a tendency to run out of gas (stamina and conditioning)? Has particularly small hands, no hips or butt. Just feel if he can’t beat you off the go, will have a difficult time. Should be given strong late round draft (6 – 7) consideration.
52	Hayes	William	Winston Salem St	DE	6026v	272v	4.71v
Impressive small college linemen who showed explosiveness on his take off, the ability to convert speed to power and close on the football. Has a pro body and very good athletic ability. Mike backer in his first two season of play. Needs to keep his pads down more consistently, but did meet blocks and play with leverage. Has good first step quickness as a pas rusher, but will need to improve in his ability to counter. Strong late round draft or priority FA potential.
33	Taylor	Hilee	No Carolina U	DE	6023v	244v	4.59v
Is an undersized nickel rusher with rare speed who was generally an ineffective run stopper; plays high, was inconsistent with his hands and did not get off blocks particularly well. Can range and will make some plays with his backside chase. Vs the pass, is a fast twitch guy with a great 1st step, forces separation, get to the top of his rush, leans and accelerates to the ball. Too stiff to consider at LB. One dimentional, but give you something pretty special
45	Hall	Alex	St Augustine	DE	6051v	239v	4.72v
Has a great deal of natural gifts, but is physically underdeveloped and from a position skill perspective is at least two years behind in terms of development. As a pass rusher, has long arms, good first step quickness, the stride length to get to the top of the rush and the closing speed to pressure the QB. Currrently lacks the body strength, plan of attack and practical experience to factor. Raiders type pick.
83	Jones	Jason	Eastern Michigan U	DE	6052v	273v	4.80v
Is a former tight end who was moved to a defensive tackle position at the midpoint of the 04 season. Looks like a basketball player. Needs to play outside. Is a very raw player who had a tendency to get his pads up off the go. Limited use of hands to shed (gets stuck on blocks). Has skills and was not out of place at the Senior Bowl workouts, but is no better then a developmental player at this time. Late selection but more likely a PFA.
1	Johnson	Curtis	Clark-Atlanta	DE	6025v	242v	4.78v
Quick side end with good speed and playing range. Needs a great deal of work with his technique (use of hands). Effective edge rusher who can trim the edge effectively. I really liked his competes and the way finished. Perfect fit as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme. Needs refinement, but has tools and intensity to play. aLooks like a contributing back up within the league who should be able to add bulk and strength to his frame. Round 6 -7 consideration.
51	Baldwin	Ervin	Michigan St	DE	6012v	270v
Undersized (length) outside rusher, who played very hard. I thought he showed good leverage when meeting blocks, although will need to get off them more effeciently. Come hard as an outside rusher, but lacks hand use, counter skills, and finishing skills. A special situation rusher who has shown enough to merit late round consideration (6th to 7th).
9	Geathers	Jeremy	UNLV	DE	6021v	259v	4.82v
Undersized Juco transfer (son of long time NFL tackle James). Was far better player then I originally expected. Has excellent hip strength and lower body power.Good leverage and hands defending the run. Didn’t make a lot of plays on wide plays, but was strong and effective. As a pass rusher, showed good lean and dip at the top of rush (has an inside counter), but just modest results (only 11 sacks in 2 years). A work in progress, but has some tools. Round 7
92	Dingle	Johnny	West Virginia U	DE	6013v	265v	4.98v
Originally signed with Florida but was a non-qualifier and transferred. Is a undersized player with athletic ability who flashed skills as an edge rusher. Comes hard. Gets upfield, trims the edge, and showed a closing burst. Was just inconsistent in this area, and was in my opinion a non entity defending the run. Motor doesn’t always run on high. Just when you are about to give up on him will make a “wow” play to get you excited. 7th or priority free agent.
82	Craig	Angelo	Cincinnati U	DE	6040v	252v	5.09v
First year regular. Former WR, TE and LB before finding a home at DE. Is a good athlete, with foot speed and a burst. Can trim the edge and has the physical make up (long arms) to alter the throwing lanes (flashed impressive hand use). Up and down playing intensity. Have to question both his mental and physical toughness. Late consideration with the hope of developing at the LB position.
93	Ortiz	Chase	TCU	DE	6020v	249v	4.93v
Outside backer in a 3-4 look. Plays with a good motor and had some adequate backside chase and outside pass rush potential. A straight line guy who doesn’t have the hips and COD to project to linebacker. Too small to line up at as a 4-3 end. Gets muscled on the inside by big people. Looks like a steady back up prospect with second day (5th to 7th) round draft potential.
1	Holmes	Louis	Arizona U	DE	6035v	263v	4.89v
Highest rated Has size and a great deal of natural talent, but has made some highly questionable off the field decisions which can’t be overlooked. Said to be very immature and inconsistent as a player. Not a high motor guy but when he wants to has more then enough playing skills to impact a game. A club could well hit big with this player, but I really don’t know he can be counted on over the long haul. Has 7th round or free agent potential.
93	Smith	Dorian	Oregon St	DE	6014v	264v	5.08v
An under rated player who makes plays on the strength of a motor that always runs on high. Does not have a natural feel for the position, nor does he have special tools, but made plays due to his sustained effort Is never going to have the size and strength for full time participation. Would consider in a late round ate round 5-7 draft consideration.
93	Hout	Kurt	Ferris St	DE	6010v	266v	4.91v
A tough undersized small college player who played extremely hard. Flies around and makes plays. Not particularly strong, but was physical and has an edge to him. Has had some off the field issues but has matured over the past two years (raised himself). Didn’t think he located the ball on the inside as well as he should have (lack of height likely contributed to his lack of success). Outside chance to factor at the professional level
55	Artis	Wallace	Furman U	DE	6033v	266v	5.00e
97	Fountain	Marque	Oklahoma St	DE
47	Franklin	Vegas	Miami U	DE	6022v	239v	4.91v
97	Blake	Tommy	TCU	DE	6025v	272v	4.83v
92	Gilberry	Wallace	Alabama U	DE	6022v	268v	4.99v
90	Studebaker	Andrew	Wheaton College	DE	6030v	249v	4.54v
95	Jackson	Robert	Kansas St	DE	6032v	256v	4.91v
58	Mullenix	Matt	Washington St	DE	6054e	255e	4.80e
49	Pittman	Kirston	LSU	DE	6023v	254v	4.74v
97	Schlekeway	Nick	Boise St	DE	6033v	268v	4.93v
90	Udofla	Udeme	Stanford U	DE	6035v	244v	5.03v
49	Van Orsow	Jeff	Oregon St	DE
89	Reynolds	Antonio	Tennessee U	DE	6035v	266v	4.92v
7	Gunheim	Greyson	Washington U	DE	6050e	260e	4.90e
93	Burnett	Martail	Utah U	DE	6026v	257v	4.79v
93	Mitchell	Xavier	Tennessee U	DE	6026v	258v	4.88v
58	Clermond	Joe	Pittsburgh U	DE	6022v	253v	4.97v
91	Henderson	Robert	Southern Mississippi	DE	6027v	281v	4.87v
57	Gray	Derrick	Texas Southern	DE	6041v	269v	5.00e
45	Bright	Eugene	Purdue U	DE
54	Dotson	Alonzo	Oklahoma U	DE	6030e	250e
99	Mattison	Bryan	Iowa U	DE	6027v	290v	5.09v
96	Flynn	Dallas	Northwest Missouri St	DE	6045v	260v
2	Johnson	Roderick	Oklahoma St	DE	6024e	255e	4.95e
42	Oliver	Adamm	Georgia Tech	DE	6036v	271v	4.80e
94	Osborn	Nick	San Diego St	DE	6033v	251v	4.80e
98	Boston	Alex	Florida St	DE	6023v	261v	4.76v
41	Brown	Martel	No Carolina St	DE	6010e	255e	4.90e
88	Cox	Brandon	Louisville U	DE
99	Hardie	Rudolph	Howard U	DE	6017v	257v	4.90e
57	Larkin	Nick	Boston College	DE	6036v	244v
58	Mester	Craig	Miami (Ohio) U	DE	6040e	245e
59	Nading	Jesse	Colorado St	DE	6047v	261v
12	Noa	Karl	Hawaii U	DE	6035v	239v
93	Owens	Jacob	Fairmont St	DE	6047v	266v	4.91v
94	Saint-Dic	Jonal	Michigan St	DE	6002v	253v	4.90e
11	Amos	John	Calif-Davis	DE	6031v	254v
90	Baker	Maurice	CW Post	DE	6034e	260e
92	Bakhtiari	Eric	U of San Diego	DE
56	Cummings	Kenwin	Wingate U	DE	6017v	258v	5.08v
31	Griffin	Kerby	California (PA)	DE	6005v	266v	5.14v
90	Chapman	Jeremiah	No Texas U	DE
40	Boynton	Blair	Northern Arizona U	DE
41	McKillop	Chris	Pittsburgh U	DE	6024v	252v
94	Joseph	Kirby	McNeese St	DE	6014e	270e	4.94v

Gus Ornstein's School of Sports » buffalo

Scouting the 2008 Centers

Scouting the 2008 Defensive End’s