The 2013 Prospect Thread

[manxman2601]

Originally Posted by Big-T

Grid/Mayo (or anyone else for that matter) can you offer up an opinion on Nephew of former Patriot Christian Fauria, Joseph Fauria?

Just seen his TD today, looks to have good speed and is 6'7" 255lbs - Senior for UCLA. I know TE isn't exactly a pressing need, but why not have a look?

Because Mayo and Grid are afficianados of the TE position, I'll let them give a fuller answer for you. Having just watched three game cut ups of him from last year (which I'll post in the TE prospect video thread), here's what I think. He has exceptional hands and looks good when in the secondary. He's athletic enough to hurdle defenders and make leaping grabs (which, when you are 67'' makes for a very wide catch radius). But around the LOS he can look really bad. He can look uncoordinated and clueless and to be honest, sometimes his blocking can be a bit comical.

I'd put a 3-4 round grade on him because he has a lot of potential as a receiving TE but I don't think he offers enough upside to be worthy of a Pats pick in those rounds. Have a look at the videos and tell us what you think.

[BritPat]

Watching the UCF @ OSU game back this morning, Kemal Ishmael (#18 FS UCF) played better than I gave him credit for first time around. Four year starter, one to keep an eye on come Feb/March.....

[NinjaZX6R]

Originally Posted by BritPat

Watching the UCF @ OSU game back this morning, Kemal Ishmael (#18 FS UCF) played better than I gave him credit for first time around. Four year starter, one to keep an eye on come Feb/March.....

I'll watch the game again on Monday and will keep an eye out.

[Big-T]

Originally Posted by manxman2601

Because Mayo and Grid are afficianados of the TE position, I'll let them give a fuller answer for you. Having just watched three game cut ups of him from last year (which I'll post in the TE prospect video thread), here's what I think. He has exceptional hands and looks good when in the secondary. He's athletic enough to hurdle defenders and make leaping grabs (which, when you are 67'' makes for a very wide catch radius). But around the LOS he can look really bad. He can look uncoordinated and clueless and to be honest, sometimes his blocking can be a bit comical.

I'd put a 3-4 round grade on him because he has a lot of potential as a receiving TE but I don't think he offers enough upside to be worthy of a Pats pick in those rounds. Have a look at the videos and tell us what you think.

Just watched those videos and wow the kid can't block

What I did notice though is he looks more like an overgrown WR than a TE, which is what I originally thought he was based on the TD he got yesterday, he was lined up as a flanker and beat the CB with ease.

As a WR I'd take a look at him but as a TE? No chance.

3 more players who caught my eye yesterday from the Georgia @ Mizzou game (only saw the 2nd quarter, will watch the rest in the week):

WR Marcus Lucas - 6'5" 215bs, Junior from Mizzou
WR Marlon Brown - 6'5" 216lbs, Senior from Georgia
OLB Jarvis Jones - 6'3" 241lbs, Junior from Georgia

My focus on games so far has been the WR position, especially taller players. Jones was just in the backfield that much I had to add him to my list from that game.

Robert Woods of USC also really impresses me every time I see him. Le'Veon Bell RB of Michigan St also really impressed me last week.

[mayoclinic]

Originally Posted by manxman2601

Because Mayo and Grid are afficianados of the TE position, I'll let them give a fuller answer for you. Having just watched three game cut ups of him from last year (which I'll post in the TE prospect video thread), here's what I think. He has exceptional hands and looks good when in the secondary. He's athletic enough to hurdle defenders and make leaping grabs (which, when you are 67'' makes for a very wide catch radius). But around the LOS he can look really bad. He can look uncoordinated and clueless and to be honest, sometimes his blocking can be a bit comical.

I'd put a 3-4 round grade on him because he has a lot of potential as a receiving TE but I don't think he offers enough upside to be worthy of a Pats pick in those rounds. Have a look at the videos and tell us what you think.

Good post. I agree with pretty much everything you wrote.

I think of Fauria as a "poor man's Jimmy Graham" - similar size and raw athelticism with a ton of upside. But Fauria has (1) some question marks about his transfer from Notre Dame to USC, and (2) he has much more experience and playing time than Graham did, and is still technically pretty raw. Both of those are somewhat red flags to me. I think 3rd-4th round is a good range for him. I like him in that range as an alternative to a WR - a big guy who can line up wide (like Graham often does) and stretch the field, who is an excellent red zone target, and who has more versatility as a TE than most big receivers would bring. But he's a gamble.

Here's Mackenzie Pantoja's scouting report on Fauria, FWIW:

Positives:

+Incredible size at 6’8, 252lbs
+Amazing athleticism for his size
+Incredible coordination
+Doesn’t drop passes
+Can really jump
+Can make catches in traffic
+Decent stats
+Excellent strength
+Lots of potential

Negatives:

-Underachiever as a blocker
-Notre Dame transfer with mysterious character issues
-Incredibly raw
-Poor route runner
-Played an unusual role in an unusual offense
-Traps passes against his frame
-Horrible blocking fundamentals

Immediately, when I saw UCLA senior tight end Joseph Fauria, the name that kept spinning through my mind was Jimmy Graham. But that actually might mean that Fauria is an overrated prospect, in spite of the fact that he is loaded with potential, like Graham was, out of college.

Fauria has excellent measurables. He is freakishly big at 6’8, 252lbs (he could pass for 6’10 on film), and he has excellent speed for his size. He only runs an average 40 (4.82), but he looks much faster on film. However, thanks to that height, 252lbs isn’t that big, and he could definitely afford to as some bulk. Physically, Fauria is very similar to Jimmy Graham.

Fauria has decent stats. In 2011, his first season as a starter, Fauria had 39 catches for 481 yards while maintaining an decent 12.3 yards per catch. He really came on toward the end of the season, getting at least 36 yards in each of the final 5 games. He also had 6 receiving touchdowns.

There are some character issues surrounding Fauria. Under the advice of a Buffalo Bills scout, I’ve decided I’m going to avoid forming opinions on a player’s character, simply because I really can’t comment on a players character without meeting him or his coaches. However, Fauria had to transfer from Notre Dame to UCLA for downright mysterious reasons. Fauria claims he was suspended for a semester for something minor (“you’d laugh if you knew [what it was]“), and he left Notre Dame afterwards. Beyond the strange circumstances surrounding the Notre Dame exit, he also doesn’t dominate as a blocker as much as you would think he would. It’s not that he doesn’t care about football: he almost seems scared of blocking, and he doesn’t block with a mean streak. I really don’t want to question his toughness, but I’d like to see more a mean streak from him as a run blocker.

Fauria is a good receiver. Maybe his biggest issue is that he plays in a strange offense that might not translate to yardage in the NFL. UCLA uses the pistol, typically with 1 back and 2 tight ends on opposite sides of each other. Neither tight end lines up on the line of scrimmage, so Fauria often gets yards running crossing routes in that are actually in his own backfield. Seriously. Fauria runs crossing routes behind the line of scrimmage in UCLA’s offense. It works pretty well for him, but he won’t be running routes anything like that in the NFL. Fauria also isn’t a great route runner, thanks to poor fundamentals and tight hips. On the other hand, Fauria has excellent hands and is impossible to beat on a jump ball. He seems to catch everything he touches (though he will trap passes against his frame), his speed makes him tough to cover, and his combination of height, long arms, and leaping ability makes him a nightmare for defenses on jump balls, especially in the red zone. He also is a major threat after the catch, often doing ridiculous hurdles over smaller defenders and using his power to run over defensive backs.

Fauria is a really poor blocker, namely because of terrible fundamentals. He has never had forward momentum going into a block in his life. He plays on his heels, and his typical stance is horrible unbalanced. A majority of his body weight is behind him, so it is simply easy to just push him down. He absolutely needs to try to learn how to get the slightest bit of forward momentum into his blocks, or defenders that are way smaller than he is will continue to run him over on a regular basis. When he is blocking, he looks like he is sitting down on an imaginary chair; almost all of his body weight is behind is feet and it is very easy for a defender to simply tip him over. He needs to bend at the waist and keep more of his body momentum going forward. Right now, Fauria is a terrible blocker.

As mentioned before, I said Fauria seems very similar to Jimmy Graham. I truly think that, in college, they are identical players. Like Fauria, Graham was physically gifted, but incredibly raw (especially as a blocker) coming out of college. Graham was loaded with physical ability but didn’t know how to play football. Same with Fauria. But here’s the difference: Graham had an excuse for being raw out of college. He only spent one season on Miami’s football team. He spent most of his time at Miami as a forward on the basketball team. He was on the team from 2005-2009. 2010 was the only season in which he played football. It was the first time Graham had played football in 5 years. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that his fundamentals were terrible. It had been years since he played football. Graham has since improved his fundamentals and turned into one of the best tight ends in the NFL. But why are Fauria’s fundamentals so poor? I don’t know. He has no excuse. He’s been playing football nonstop for years. Either he struggles with coaching, or he struggles to change the poor fundamentals that have been a part of his game for most of his career. Again, in college, Fauria and Graham were very similar. But it might be tougher for Fauria to improve on his mistakes.

NFL Comparison: Jimmy Graham. But that might not be a good thing
Grade: 77 (worthy of an early 3rd round pick)
Projection: 86 (will be a mid second round pick)

Joseph Fauria- 2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report - NFL Mocks - 2013 NFL Mock Draft, Fantasy Football, NFL News, and NFL Mock Draft Databases

I wouldn't use a mid second round pick on Fauria. But 3rd/4th would be quite different. A lot depends on whether he truly has issues learning the game which have impacted his fundamentals, or whether he's just had poor coaching.

[mayoclinic]

With Sebastian Vollmer missing more time today and his back situation not resolved, it's possible the Pats might have to look for a long term solution at RT (unless Marcus Cannon proves himself at the position). One guy of potential interest is Virginia junior OT Morgan Moses, who has played predominantly RT for the Caviliers as well as some LT. Tony Pauline had this to say about Moses in his most recent "risers and fallers" column:

Moses flashed dominance during the Cavaliers' last minute victory over Penn State and his blocking on the game winning drive was key. The junior is an imposing figure on the field and easily moves his 6-7, 320-pound frame around the field. Moses consistently knocked Penn State pass rushers from their angle of attack or annihilated linebackers blocking in motion. He comes with a large upside and only needs a bit of time to develop his game though reports are circulating Moses is already meeting with agents in preparation to enter the 2013 draft.

Arthur Brown leads NFL draft risers, sliders for*Week 2 - Tony Pauline - SI.com

Rob Rang had this to say about Moses in June:

Over the last decade, Virginia has made a strong case to be known as “O-line U” after producing several offensive line prospects for the next level. And while Aboushi was No. 1 on this list, his bookend Morgan Moses isn't too far behind. The junior is entering his third season as a starter for the Cavaliers, spending most of his time at right tackle, despite practicing on the left side in the spring. Moses was regarded as one of the top offensive tackle recruits out of high school and committed to Virginia, but didn't qualify academically and enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy. Although he looked around at different schools after Al Groh was fired in Charlottesville, Moses recommitted to the Cavaliers in 2010 and started seven games as a true freshman (six at right tackle, one at right guard). He moved to right tackle full-time in 2011 as a sophomore, starting all 13 games. Moses needs to keep his weight in-check after ballooning close to 350 pounds last year, but weighed-in closer to his goal playing weight of 325-335 pounds during the spring. He is the definition of a “dancing bear” with his mammoth size and nimble feet. Moses likes to use his limbs to get his hands on defenders and take them wherever he wants, but needs to continue and refine his technique. If he continues to develop while staying in shape, Moses will be an attractive blocker for the next level.

2013 NFL Draft: Virginia Preview - CBSSports

He sounds like he's got something similar to Vollmer's combination of RT power and enough agility and footwork to play LT. That makes him pretty interesting in my book.

[manxman2601]

Buffalo Bills Draft analyze the UNC/Elon game. UNC's three quality OL's

2013 NFL Draft Scouting Notes: UNC v. Elon | Buffalo Bills Draft

OT Brennan Williams 73

Summary: Don’t let the relative lack of notes scare you on Williams, he was the most impressive offensive player in this game for me. He dominated every Elon defender he went up against and really did a good job with his technique. He’s a big man who can move better than most RT prospects, Im close to saying he’s the best RT in the country right now.

OT James Hurst* 68

Summary: Big OT prospect who moves extremely well and knows how to block from a technical stand point. Im not sure he has the upside of some of the more athletic LT prospects but he is more technically sound than most. I’d like to see him against better competition and I worry about his ability to move his man on just brute strength.

OG Johnathan Cooper 64

Summary: Cooper was a close second to Williams for his dominant display, his strength display may have caused my concerns about Hurst’s strength because Cooper’s ability was just so much more evident. It seemed like ever big run by Bernard involved a Cooper block.

[manxman2601]

Originally Posted by mayoclinic

Arthur Brown leads NFL draft risers, sliders for*Week 2 - Tony Pauline - SI.com

Nice to see Tony Pauline give a shout out to Kyle Fuller. Seriously, if any of you enjoyed watching Dre Kirkpatrick last year, particularly his abilities against the run, Fuller is cut from the same cloth and might be a better pass defender. His game against Georgia Tech is up in the CB prospect video thread.

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

@DraftCountdown
#Oregon S John Boyett, who already redshirted, will have surgery on both knees and miss the remainder of the season

@DuckFootball Oregon's standout OG Carson York confirms he's out for the season.

[mayoclinic]

Originally Posted by manxman2601

Because Mayo and Grid are afficianados of the TE position, I'll let them give a fuller answer for you. Having just watched three game cut ups of him from last year (which I'll post in the TE prospect video thread), here's what I think. He has exceptional hands and looks good when in the secondary. He's athletic enough to hurdle defenders and make leaping grabs (which, when you are 67'' makes for a very wide catch radius). But around the LOS he can look really bad. He can look uncoordinated and clueless and to be honest, sometimes his blocking can be a bit comical.

I'd put a 3-4 round grade on him because he has a lot of potential as a receiving TE but I don't think he offers enough upside to be worthy of a Pats pick in those rounds. Have a look at the videos and tell us what you think.

Mike Loyko from NE Patriots' Draft had these comments on Fauria from the UCLA-Nebraska game:

[b]#8 Joseph Fauria, TE[b]

- Lines up offset the OT, runs a wheel route, shows quickness/strength running by the cornerback who was holding him for a TD
- Massive target, huge catching radius, would like to see him add some muscle/thickness
- Does not sell run/pass well, when it’s a run he is really slow off the ball and lackadaisical as a blocker
- As expected he is not very quick in his change of direction, but is able to create separation and space by using his body and size
- Slows down a little bit at the top of his routes, which allows DB to get position and hands on him
- His second touchdown consists of him running four yard bumping into DB and boxing out, ball gets tipped and he comes down with it. Definitely not graceful, but uses his size to his advantage, in the pros it could be PI
- 4th down (fake fg) Runs a vertical route to end-zone, shows lack of awareness by completely throwing the CB out of the way. Lucky no interference was called
- Rarely if ever lines up “inline” has been used in both the slot and split out. I would like to see him play more physical in the run game where he doesn’t hold his blocks long enough and lacks technique as a blocker
- Has the potential to be special, but is very raw, is basically just a mismatch right now

2013 NFL Draft Scouting Notes: UCLA vs. Nebraska | NEPatriotsDraft.com - 2013 NFL Draft

Seems pretty fair to me from what I've seen. I wouldn't mind drafting Fauria in the 3rd/4th round as a TE/WR hybrid. He might have more upside than any WR available in that range. But he's still raw, and I wonder why he's so raw at this stage of his development.