Adopt a prospect: Mike Walker, wr central florida

[patsfan55]

I know I know
another wide receiver
lets not forget we only have chad jack and welker under contract after this yr
and walker is projected as a day two pick

i first noticed him because of his outstanding production last yr
i will be updating...

 

[patsfan55]

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/wr/mikewalker.html

Strengths:
Has good size and a solid frame...A smooth natural athlete...Excellent leaper with terrific body control and ball skills...Has great timed speed...Displays superb focus and reliable hands...Runs good routes and knows how to get open...Tough player who will work in traffic and across the middle...Sacrifices for the good of his team.

Weaknesses:
Does not play up to his timed speed and he may struggle to separate at the next level...Doesn't do much after the catch...Not a deep threat...Can still improve as a blocker...Needs to get stronger and be more physical...His durability is a concern.

Notes:
Bounced back and forth between wideout and cornerback the first two years of his career...He tore his ACL at the end of the 2005 season...Projects as more of a possession receiver in the pros...Underrated and could be a nice #2 or #3 option.
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Career Statistics
Year GP Rec Yds YPC TD
2003 12 21 337 16.0 0
2004 11 9 191 21.2 1
2005 11 64 855 13.4 9
2006 12 90 1,178 13.1 7
Totals 46 184 2,561 13.9 17

just like my other prospect (woodley) cant ignore the production
personally i feel the most underrated ability of a wr is his leaping ability
there are tons of wideouts that have some trouble separating, but if they can go up and have the concentration to bring it down they will still be solid at the next level
the fact that he played corner just tells me how much a versitile football player he is, and you know how much bb loves that
anyone remember givens playing corner in the preseason his rookie yr?
and we all know bout troy



http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=339&p=8&c=1&nid=2705462

Scout.com Player Evaluation:
STRENGTHS
Competitiveness
Hands and Concentration
Size
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Downfield Threat
Elusiveness with Catch


A focused receiver with a solid game, Walker is a possession wideout who may offer ability in a West Coast offense. Potentially a fourth receiver at the next level.

Biography:
Three-year starter who spent time at cornerback early in college. All-Conference selection last season after leading the team in receiving with 90/1,178/7. Junior totals included 64/855/9.

Pos:

Reliable possession wide out with consistent hands. Defeats jams at the line of scrimmage, sells routes and does a terrific job reading the defense then finding the open spot on the field. Goes up in a crowd to make the reception, looks the pass into his hands and makes acrobatic receptions down field. Uses his frame to protect the pass and an effective body-catcher when necessary. Plays bigger than his listed size and breaks tackles after the catch to pick up yardage.

Neg:

One-speed receiver who does not play to his forty-time nor beat defenders in a foot race. Not quick releasing off the line.

concentration, concentration, concentration
i said before leaping ability goes underrated
concentration goes EXTREMELY underrated
when i was at summer camp i leaned over to my dad last yr and said, i wanna like caldwell, but man he really lacks concentration
and we all saw how that panned out, lets please not let this get into a reche convo though, it wasnt his fault we lost (well not solely and not mostly)

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

NFLDraftScout.com (membership required $25/year, highly recommended)

Called by the coaching staff the team's best all-around athlete, Walker quietly went about his business, but while he might not get much media attention, the split end finished third in Division I-A with an average of 7.50 receptions per game and was tied for fifth with an average of 98.17 receiving yards per game in 2006.
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In 46 games at Central Florida, Walker started six times on defense and 23 times on offense. He caught 183 passes for 2,547 yards (14.0 avg) and 17 touchdowns. He ran once for a 7-yard gain and picked up 59 yards on three interception returns. Walker was in on 34 tackles (28 solos) with two stops for losses of 10 yards and caused one fumble.

...Shows very good field savvy and vision, as he is alert to coverages and has a knack for executing head fakes and generating enough hip wiggle to elude after the catch...Smooth open-field runner who might lack timed speed, but has the change of direction agility, balance and body control to make proper adjustments to get to off-target throws...Shows good hip flexibility and knee bend to plant and drive out of his cuts...Has the ability to take plays from the chalkboard to the playing field...Excels at making adjustments according to what the defense gives him, and is alert to coming back when the quarterback is pressured...Is best when given room to get into his routes, but has the movement skills and hand/eye coordination to separate after the catch...Usually crisp when trying to cut...His body control is evident when he runs disciplined patterns...Does a very good job of sitting down underneath and knows where the chains are...He can find the sticks and maintains eye contact so he knows where the cornerback is positioned...Natural ball catcher who will extend and reach away from his frame...Catches with ease when he goes for the ball and shows good hand strength to secure the ball before turning up field... While he can use more bulk, he is effective at using his body to shield defenders and shows no flinch going for the pass in a crowd, even when he knows the defender is going to deliver a crunching hit...Will assert himself well to combat for the jump balls...Has just adequate deep speed, but tracks the ball well in flight and can sneak up on a lethargic defender and separate...Very effective at tracking the ball over his outside shoulder...Is more of a build-up speed-type of runner, but demonstrates good concentration to look the ball in...Very smooth making twisting moves to get to the off-target throws while maintaining his stride...Won't put on the afterburners to separate after the catch, but has enough lower body strength to break the initial tackle...His shake and loose hips lets him gain positive yardage up the seam...Puts in the extra hours after practice and is known to spend considerable time in the film room.

...Has a small waist, lacking the lower body power to maintain position and sustain when blocking for the ground game...Needs to use his hands with force in order to defeat the press, as he does not generate an explosive initial step...Needs to learn to vary his stride (must take pitter-patter steps instead of long ones)...Comes out his breaks cleanly, but will take some false steps at times...Has the determination to compete for the passes inside, but a lack of bulk sees him get ping-ponged by second-level defenders...

 

[patsfan55]

NFLDraftScout.com (membership required $25/year, highly recommended)

very good comments thanks
he really sounds like the type that could help us forget about givens
the guy that will catch anything in traffic
im really startin to think he could be worth a look early on day 2