2013 NFL Draft stands out for several reasons

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Ray Hamill

As usual it will take a few years before we can issue final judgement on the 2013 version of the NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t already stood out for several reasons.

With three of the top four overall picks going on offensive tackles (Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher to the Chiefs No. 1; Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel to the Jaguars No. 2; and Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson to the Eagles No. 4), the 2013 draft will be remembered for its depth on the offensive line, not to mention a distinct lack of it at some notable positions.

Take quarterback for instance, a position has gone first overall in 11 of the previous 14 years, including a year ago, when three of them were taken in the first eight picks, all solid NFL starters in 2012.

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2013 NFL Draft Results (Rounds 1-7)

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Duke Manyweather

ROUND 1

OVERALL	TEAM	DRAFT PICK
1	Kansas City Chiefs (2-14)	Eric Fisher, OT Central Michigan
2	Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14)	Luke Joeckel, OT Texas A&M
3	Miami Dolphins from Oakland Raiders (4-12)	Dion Jordan, OLB Oregon
4	Philadelphia Eagles (4-12)	Lane Johnson, OT Oklahoma
5	Detroit Lions (4-12)	Ezekiel Ansah, DE BYU
6	Cleveland Browns (5-12)	Barkevious Mingo, OLB LSU
7	Arizona Cardinals (5-12)	Jonathan Cooper, OG North Carolina
8	St. Louis Rams from Buffalo Bills (6-10)	Tavon Austin, WR West Virginia
9	New York Jets (6-10)	Dee Milliner, DB Alabama
10	Tennessee Titans (6-10)	Chance Warmack, OG Alabama Continue reading →

My 2013 NFL Draft Top Receiver Prospects

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Jsmith1119

Ranking	Receiver/WO	College
1	Cordarelle Patterson	Tenn
2	Quinton Patton	La Tech
3	Keenan Allen	Cal
4	DeAndre Hopkins	Clemson
5	Justin Hunter	Tenn
6	Terrence Williams	Baylor
7	Robert Woods	USC
8	Da’Rick Rogers	Tenn Tech
9	Chris Harper	K State
10	Rodney Smith	FSU

Ranking	Receiver/Slot	College
1	Tavon Austin	West V
2	Ryan Swope	Tx A&M
3	Marcus Wheaton	Ore St
4	Stedman Bailey	West V
5	Josh Boyce	TCU

#5 Duke Williams, S, Neveda

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Jsmith1119

HGT: 6-0 WGT: 190

YR: Sr Pos: S

Notables:

2012: 105 tac, 5.5 tfl, 1 int, 9 pbu, 3 ff
Second-Team All-Mountain West

Pros:

Solid height
Consistently productive year after year
Shows very raw athleticism on the field
High energy player with an aggressive nature
Exudes confidence on the field
Game changer
Comfortable in his back pedal (gets on his heels at times but not often)
Good range
Good ball skills
Comfortable making tackles in the open field
Very good at filing the lane quickly against the run
Great lateral quickness
Good read and react skills (with exception of some play action)
Plays with ideal knee bend and posture
Fairly adequate in man to man on the college level(although technique does need to improve)

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#16 Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Jsmith1119

HGT: 6-0 WGT: 208

YR: Sr POS: S

Notables:

2010 : 64 tkl, 3.5 tfl, 2 ff, 3 int, 9 pbu
2012: 84 tkl, 12 tfl, 4 sac, 4 ff, 8 int (3 for TDs), 5 pbu

Pros

Coming off arguable the most productive year of any safety entering the draft
The ability to see run and come down quickly
Plays fairly well in the box
Exceptional ball skills
Better than most safeties in man to man coverage
Adequate ability to cover TEs and slots
Looks comfortable in all coverages
Shows good aggression when coming on blitzes
Knows when to jump a route to make a play
Knows how to roam effectively when having the free or spy assignment
Good in space

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#73 Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Duke Manyweather

#73 Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

HGT: 6-3 WGT: 297

In 3 seasons as a Florida Gator, Sharrif Floyd appeared in 36 games with 26 starts. Floyd racked up 115 career tackles, 26 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, three blocked field goals and a forced fumble. According to University of Florida’s Sports Information Department, Floyd’s three career kick/punt blocks is tied for fifth in school history. Floyd’s solid showing at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, has left plenty of scouts “buzzing” about the former Gator.

PROS:

Very Good all around athleticism. Very explosive first step. Gets a great jump on the snap count. Good lateral agility and balance, is able to work through bodies on the ground. Shows the ability to deliver a blow with his hands and consistently displays good all around hand placement. Shows good hand violence when swiping away the hands of blockers. Has a great motor and plays hard. Seems like late in games he is still chasing and pursuing, his effort never drops off, which is a testament to his conditioning. Really good short area closing speed on ball carriers. Excels at line movements and stunts by using his quickness and hands. Floyd is a very good pass rusher with an above average skill-set of pass-rush moves. Lines up as a 3-technique and 5-technique. Does a great job of maintaining half-man leverage. When lined up as the 3-tech, he use quick hands to gain control and a quick swim to beat blockers. Is most effective vs. the run when he uses quickness and is able to shoot gaps and get up field by flipping his hips to get skinny and then get vertical. Is able to work through slide pass-protection by flipping his hips and ricocheting off of blockers. When lined up at the 5-tech, shows he is most effective when uses a quick punch and a fast escape move, often uses the dip and rip to turn the corner on offensive tackles. Shows the ability to string out plays to the sideline. Seems to have natural instincts and great feel for his position, whether at the 5 or the 3. Does a good job of getting his hands up in the vision line of the quarterback.

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#54 Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Duke Manyweather

#54 Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama

HGT: 6-3 WGT: 323

Jesse Williams is one of the more recognizable former members of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Originally from Australia, Williams came to Alabama via Arizona Western Junior College in the spring of 2011. As a Junior in 2011, Williams started all 13 games and helped Alabama win a BCS title. In 2012 Williams started 12 games (missed WKU game due to injury) and earned 2nd team All-SEC honors on the way to helping the Crimson Tide win its 2^nd consecutive National Championship. Williams finished his career with 60 tackles; 7 tackles for a loss; 1.5 sacks and 7 QB hurries, in two seasons as a member of the Crimson Tide.

PROS:

Jesse Williams has ideal size for the nose tackle position. Possesses great upper strength. Has a quick and powerful get-off that he uses to penetrate in to the backfield and knock blockers back on their heels. Is able to keep pads low on initial get-off. Jolts blockers with a solid blow delivery from his heavy hands. Is able to swipe and club defenders by when they get to his shoulder. Has shown a quick swim off the line to beat blockers in the run game. Good, not great, initial short area quickness. Plays with great effort and pursues down field when he is fresh. Shows the ability to defeat the cut block with with heavy hands and doesn’t waste time on the ground when he does get cut. Solid at the point of attack against the run. Shows flashes of stalemating and splitting double teams. Is able to explode out and be disruptive in short yardage situations. Because of his strength, Williams is able to push the pocket in passing situations. Very good bull rush. Does a decent job of getting his hands up in throwing lanes when he can not reach the passer.

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#6 Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Jsmith1119

HGT : 6-0 WGT: 190

YR : SR Pos: CB

Notables:

2012 First Team All Pac -12
45 Straight Starts

Pros

Good size
Natural instinct you can’t teach
Knows how to be active with his hands in coverage
Great ball skills
Knows how to get off of WR blocks
Fluid hips
Shows good awareness when in zone coverage
Good footwork
All around fundamentally sound
Very good in press coverage
Not afraid to stick his nose in and make a tackle
Rarely allows a WR to get separation
Great straight line speed

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#20 Demetrius Sumler, RB, Central Washington

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Duke Manyweather

#20 Demetrius Sumler, RB, Central Washington

(University of Colorado Transfer ’06-’09)

HGT: 5-10 WGT: 225

It is not often a College football player is able to step away from the game for 2 full seasons and come right back in and have success, but that is exactly what former University of Colorado Running Back, Demetrius Sumler, did in 2012. Sumler was a highly recruited RB coming out of high school who rushed for almost 5,700 yards and 67 touchdowns in his career at Cathedral Catholic HS in San Diego. Sumler then signed a National Letter of intent to play for Colorado. He would use the 2006 season as a redshirt year. In 2007, 2008 and 2009 he was a part time starter. Much like the state of Colorado’s program during that time Sumler’s role was all over the place and was expanded and reduced back and forth. Following the 2009 season, Sumler decided to forego his senior season of competition at Colorado and focus on graduating so that he could transfer to another school for a better opportunity to compete. After missing 2 full seasons, Sumler had completed his degree and ended up at Division II program, Central Washington University. In 2012, Sumler started 9 of 11 games for Central Washington and carried the ball 212 times for 1,108yds and 15 touchdowns. He would haul in 26 receptions for 228yds & 3 more touchdowns.

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#54 Nick Becton, OT, Virginia Tech

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Duke Manyweather

#54 Nick Becton, OT, Virginia Tech

HGT: 6-5 WGT: 323

Nick Becton started all 13 games at left tackle for the Hokies in 2012, after splitting time with Andrew Lenier in 2011. In Becton’s 1^st year as a full-time starter he graded out at the 90% or better range in every game except vs Florida State (83%). Even though Becton was only a full-time starter for 1 season, he still managed to record over 40 knockdown blocks in his career.

PROS:

Becton has good size, and has a long frame with long arms. Has good, not great, athleticism. Has good feet and the agility to mirror defenders. Shows quickness and strength at the point of attack against defensive ends. Is able to engage and stay on his blocks. Shows he has the quickness and technique to reach and seal edge defenders. Takes good angles to the 2^nd level which allows him to, not finish, but occupy defenders. Does a good job of cutting defenders down on quick throws and when he is on the back side of run. Shows he has good instincts to pick up blitzers and stunts he sees early enough. Has a pretty good punch and has good hand placement. Shows he can lockout and anchor against the bull rush. Plays with a good base, is able to widen his base in the run game and to sit on the bull. Painter gets in to his pass set very quickly and locks comfortable kicking. He uses his long arms and agility to run speed rushers over the top of the pocket.

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