The 2013 Prospect Thread

[Husse]

Originally Posted by mayoclinic

Its no fun having a monolog. Hopefully some other guys will jump on board at some point.

Think of it as a monologue in front of an audience. I enjoy reading your posts and all the analysis, and I suspect others do too. I just don't have anything useful to contribute with, so I turn into a lurker.

[Avenger]

Originally Posted by Snake Eyes

I wonder if he'd be better off at TE.

I'm thinking right now that he could be a big nickel DB that you line up to cover tight ends.

[Snake Eyes]

Originally Posted by Avenger

I'm thinking right now that he could be a big nickel DB that you line up to cover tight ends.

A 6'7 DB!?

Interesting

[mayoclinic]

NE Patriots' Draft looks at senior prospects from the Pac-12:

2013 NFL Draft: Top Senior Prospects in the Pac-12 | NEPatriotsDraft.com - 2013 NFL Draft

Some guys of note:

Star Lotulelei, DT – Star is the best defensive prospect in the PAC-12 and might be the best defensive prospect in the entire 2013 NFL draft. Lotulelei is enormous and moves like a linebacker. His combination of size, strength and quickness can’t be handled by a single blocker at the college level and requires a constant double team. Star plays with very good leverage and simply over powers linemen off the snap. While Star isn’t Ndamukong Suh, he is the closest thing I have seen to Haloti Ngata since.. Haloti Ngata. I would be very surprised if he isn’t picked in the top 6-7 next April.

Dion Jordan, DE – The 2013 draft figures to be as deep as ever with pass rushing prospects and the best to come out of the Pac-12 will likely be Jordan. A converted tight end, Jordan has only played the position for two seasons and showed amazing improvement in his second year recording 7.5 sacks. At 6’6″ 246 lbs. he has a tall, lean and athletic frame ,but what makes him special is his fluidity and ability to run at his size. Jordan likes to use a dip and rip move right now, as he develops a more refined pass rush aresenal he will become even tougher to block. Jordan is so athletic that Oregon even lined him up in the slot to jam WRs at times. If Jordan can add some strength to his frame and learn to recognize plays a little quicker he could be a first round pick in April.

Some nice comments on Datone Jones, TJ McDonald, Khaled Holmes, Shayne Skov, and others.

[Avenger]

Originally Posted by Snake Eyes

A 6'7 DB!?

Interesting

Use him to cover the Jimmy Grahams and Coby Fleeners of the NFL.

[mayoclinic]

Originally Posted by Avenger

I'm thinking right now that he could be a big nickel DB that you line up to cover tight ends.

Originally Posted by Avenger

possible match up to the new breed of super TEs?

Originally Posted by Snake Eyes

A 6'7 DB!?

Interesting

I wouldn't put it past him. Jon Dove (who formerly wrote for NFL Mocks) had this to say about Jordan recently:

Oregon’s Dion Jordan is an electrifying athlete who plays with a high motor. He uses his quickness and suddenness to generate pressure on the quarterback. He’s one of the most explosive pass-rushers in this draft class, and excels at attacking the edge.

Jordan has ultra-quick hands that he uses to keep clean as he rushes the passer. Offensive linemen have a hard time keeping him engaged because of those hands and his quickness. He isn’t just an athlete, as he shows a great feel for the game. The sky is the limit for this prospect.

One of the most interesting things about Jordan is the way Oregon uses him in coverage. At times, you will see him lined up on the outside in press coverage. The idea is to have Jordan disrupt the timing of the route then drop off into the flat. This just shows what type of athlete he is and the versatility of his game.

His tall and lanky build limits his potential as a defensive end prospect. There’s little doubt that he’ll be selected by a team looking for a pass-rushing linebacker.

This is only a starting point for Jordan, as he has the most potential as anyone in this draft class.

Updated 2013 NFL Draft Big Board for Top 25 Prospects | Bleacher Report

I agree with Dove's evaluation. I don't see Jordan as a full time DE, unless he bulks up considerably. That limits him in some ways, and hopefully will drop his stock a bit. But he is a unique prospect who could be used very creatively. After Star Lotulelei and Barkevious Mingo, both of whom will go top 15, Jordan is in a small group along with guys like Jesse Williams, Margus Hunt and possibly Devin Taylor who I think are among the most interesting guys in for 2013, all with tremendous upside.

[mayoclinic]

Jone Dove on Oklahoma S Tony Jefferson:

Oklahoma’s Tony Jefferson is an excellent athlete who reminds me a lot of Seattle Seahawks’ safety Earl Thomas. It’s his ability to lineup in man coverage that most resembles Thomas’ game. Most safeties have a hard time finding success when in man coverage. However, Jefferson has the quickness and fluidity to hold his own.

The Sooners use Jefferson a lot in deep coverage. His quick-twitch ability gives him the range needed to cover a lot of ground. Jefferson also does a good job reading the quarterback and deciphering information.

He’s an aggressive run defender who looks to deliver bit hits. Jefferson needs to become more disciplined in his run defense, as he has a tendency to take some poor angles. However, his effort and athleticism mean he has tremendous upside.

Updated 2013 NFL Draft Big Board for Top 25 Prospects | Bleacher Report

I like the Earl Thomas comparison - Thomas was a guy I had hoped would slip to the Pats at #22 in 2010. Along with Tyrann Mathieu, he's one of the more intriguing CB/S hybrids for 2013 (or 2014, though I suspect both guys will declare after this year).

[mayoclinic]

Walter Football's Charlie Campbell on Johnathan Hankins:

Skill-Set Summary: There is a lot to like about Hankins. First, he is an excellent run defender who offensive linemen really struggle to move him off the line of scrimmage. Hankins holds his ground at the point of attack and there are many runs that he blows up in the backfield by firing through the offensive line. The junior is is also good in pursuit and shows a burst to close ground in order to get in on tackles.

The heavy defensive tackle isn't just a big-bodied run stuffer. Hankins has serious quickness that he uses to fire into his gap and disrupt plays. His quickness catches many offensive linemen by surprise.

Even though Hankins only had three sacks last year, he was a better pass-rusher than the numbers indicate. Hankins got good penetration into the pocket to hurry quarterbacks and take away space for them to step up in the pocket. This writer wouldn't be at all surprised if his sack total doubled as a junior.

One extremely impressive trait for Hankins is his pad level. He is consistently showing good knee bend and staying low. Many linemen with his size have a tendency to stand straight up, but the Buckeye has the rare ability to stay low while crashing his gap.

NFL coaches are going to love Hankins' versatility. He has played all over the defensive line. Hankins has lined up as a three-technique, on the outside shoulder of the guard; a two-gap defensive tackle technique; a defensive end; and the zero-technique - as a nose tackle above the center. Thus, he could fit as in a 4-3 as a defensive tackle, or in a 3-4 defense as a nose tackle or defensive end.

2013 Draft Expectations: Right now, Hankins looks like a future first-round pick. He has a rare combination of size, speed and strength. There is always a demand for defensive linemen, and his schematic versatility will help him to appeal to a larger amount of teams. If Hankins improves, he could go early in the first round.

WalterFootball.com: 2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Johnathon Hankins

[mayoclinic]

Originally Posted by Snake Eyes

A 6'7 DB!?

Interesting

Jordan - nicknamed the "Preying Mantis" - was originally recruited to Oregon as a 6'7" 215# WR. He was then switched to TE, and then to DE in 2010, so he only has 2 years of experience at the position. His role for the Ducks is as the "drop end", who alternates between rushing and pass coverage:

The demands of the position are as varied as they are vital. Jordan could rush the quarterback on one play and cover a slot receiver the next. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the drop-end is the most integral position of the UO defense, based on the way that position is employed in Nick Aliotti’s blitz-heavy scheme.

The only thing Jordan might enjoy more than sacking the quarterback is trying to confuse him. Either way, the goal is to leave the quarterback spinning.

“What you’re trying to do with guys like Dion and all the great pass rushers, you try to put a question into the quarterback’s mind: Is he rushing the quarterback? Is he dropping into coverage?” UO defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro said. “And is he a ‘negative’ in coverage? Fortunately for Dion, he’s not a ‘negative’ in coverage.”

http://www.registerguard.com/web/spo...ring.html.csp/

[Snake Eyes]

Originally Posted by mayoclinic

Jordan - nicknamed the "Preying Mantis" - was originally recruited to Oregon as a 6'7" 215# WR. He was then switched to TE, and then to DE in 2010, so he only has 2 years of experience at the position. His role for the Ducks is as the "drop end", who alternates between rushing and pass coverage:

http://www.registerguard.com/web/spo...ring.html.csp/

I just watched some film on him, I'm intrigued.