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By Russ Lande
Sporting News
A quick look at hot topics in NFL personnel departments surrounding prospects for the 2011 draft:
- There has been a ton of hype regarding Arkansas junior QB Ryan Mallett with many analysts calling him a likely first-rounder and possible top-10 pick in '11. Such talk was not based on film study.
After breaking down all of Mallett's film, we came away disappointed. His play actually got worse, not better, this season.
After consulting with scouts from several NFL teams, who agreed with our evaluation, Mallett is an overrated prospect who definitely should return to Arkansas for his senior season.
Mallett, (6-6, 238) has excellent height, rare arm strength and flashed good accuracy downfield. However, he still must prove he has the quick mind to succeed in the NFL. He also must accelerate his deliberate delivery to keep defensive backs from breaking so quickly on his passes.
Basically, he throws too many interceptions. We believe a big part of the problem is that he doesn't read coverages well and is slow to react to shifting defensive personnel. When his mechanics are spot on, he can be accurate and lead his receivers as well as any college QB. When under duress, his footwork becomes poor and his passes start flying high, low and wide.
Bottom line: Mallett is not yet an elite QB prospect and he certainly will be disappointed should he enter the '11 draft.
- When the season began, Colorado's Nate Solder and Arkansas' DeMarcus Love were considered the top two offensive tackles, but they now have company at the top of teams' draft boards. Boston College's Anthony Castonzo and Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod have had excellent seasons and have rocketed up draft boards.
Castonzo (6-7, 298) is tall and athletic and should be ready to start on Day 1. Some scouts had wondered about Castonzo's lack of ideal arm length and bulk, but throughout the '10 season he has shown an excellent hand punch to stop pass rushers in their tracks. He never will be a road-grader, but he also has shown the strength to be a solid run blocker.
Sherrod (6-6, 305) also is an elite prospect with the quickness and athleticism to easily protect the corner vs. NFL speed rushers, but he must learn to use his hands as aggressively as Castonzo to be effective vs. power rushers. Sherrod is outstanding at blocking defenders in the open field, too.
Love and Solder, on the other hand, have had up-and-down seasons. Love has struggled to play with good footwork, which has NFL personnel men worried about whether he play left tackle or have to move to right tackle or inside to guard. Similarly, Solder, a former tight end, has not played up to his elite athleticism because of raw technique and he often ends up overextending and missing blocks he should make.
- North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin was hyped this summer as a potential top-10 pick because of his athleticism, size and strength. However, he wasn't allowed to play in '10 because of an NCAA violation.
So, personnel men must judge him off his old film. In '09, he appeared to be a much better athlete than football player because he struggled to consistently produce at a high level. It's important for Austin that he shows up at the East-West Shrine Game in shape and then his background/character check come back clean.
No one doubts Austin has the athleticism and strength to be a productive defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme or end in a 3-4 defense, but he must get off the snap more quickly and better use his hands to fight through blockers. He'll be viewed as a late second-rounder unless he answers all questions in the spring.
- Pitt defensive end Greg Romeus started his senior season as a likely first-rounder but has struggled to stay healthy and now is viewed as a third-round prospect. Fellow Pitt defensive end Jabaal Sheard has filled Romeus' void and now is pretty much a first-round lock.
Sheard, a three-year starter, has good size with excellent arm length and some definite growth potential to play end or outside linebacker in the NFL. He is an outstanding athlete with explosive quickness out of his stance. He is a bit long-legged and has struggled some to change directions.
He plays strong, tough and physical at the point of attack vs. the run, using his hands well to slip blocks and make plays. However, he can get overmatched vs. double-teams and struggles to protect his legs from being cut. He has outstanding lateral range in pursuit from the backside, though, and is a strong tackler.
As a pass rusher, Sheard presents offensive tackles with a great deal of trouble. He can win with his speed, burst and closing ability around the edge. He also can counter back inside if the offensive tackle worries too much about protecting the corner. He also features an explosive spin move and a slippery "swim" move. Sheard can be a little stiff when moving sideways or backwards in the flat, but he is quick and agile moving forward.
Overall, Sheard merits mid-to-late first-round consideration and can play in any scheme.
Sporting News
A quick look at hot topics in NFL personnel departments surrounding prospects for the 2011 draft:
- There has been a ton of hype regarding Arkansas junior QB Ryan Mallett with many analysts calling him a likely first-rounder and possible top-10 pick in '11. Such talk was not based on film study.
After breaking down all of Mallett's film, we came away disappointed. His play actually got worse, not better, this season.
After consulting with scouts from several NFL teams, who agreed with our evaluation, Mallett is an overrated prospect who definitely should return to Arkansas for his senior season.
Mallett, (6-6, 238) has excellent height, rare arm strength and flashed good accuracy downfield. However, he still must prove he has the quick mind to succeed in the NFL. He also must accelerate his deliberate delivery to keep defensive backs from breaking so quickly on his passes.
Basically, he throws too many interceptions. We believe a big part of the problem is that he doesn't read coverages well and is slow to react to shifting defensive personnel. When his mechanics are spot on, he can be accurate and lead his receivers as well as any college QB. When under duress, his footwork becomes poor and his passes start flying high, low and wide.
Bottom line: Mallett is not yet an elite QB prospect and he certainly will be disappointed should he enter the '11 draft.
- When the season began, Colorado's Nate Solder and Arkansas' DeMarcus Love were considered the top two offensive tackles, but they now have company at the top of teams' draft boards. Boston College's Anthony Castonzo and Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod have had excellent seasons and have rocketed up draft boards.
Castonzo (6-7, 298) is tall and athletic and should be ready to start on Day 1. Some scouts had wondered about Castonzo's lack of ideal arm length and bulk, but throughout the '10 season he has shown an excellent hand punch to stop pass rushers in their tracks. He never will be a road-grader, but he also has shown the strength to be a solid run blocker.
Sherrod (6-6, 305) also is an elite prospect with the quickness and athleticism to easily protect the corner vs. NFL speed rushers, but he must learn to use his hands as aggressively as Castonzo to be effective vs. power rushers. Sherrod is outstanding at blocking defenders in the open field, too.
Love and Solder, on the other hand, have had up-and-down seasons. Love has struggled to play with good footwork, which has NFL personnel men worried about whether he play left tackle or have to move to right tackle or inside to guard. Similarly, Solder, a former tight end, has not played up to his elite athleticism because of raw technique and he often ends up overextending and missing blocks he should make.
- North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin was hyped this summer as a potential top-10 pick because of his athleticism, size and strength. However, he wasn't allowed to play in '10 because of an NCAA violation.
So, personnel men must judge him off his old film. In '09, he appeared to be a much better athlete than football player because he struggled to consistently produce at a high level. It's important for Austin that he shows up at the East-West Shrine Game in shape and then his background/character check come back clean.
No one doubts Austin has the athleticism and strength to be a productive defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme or end in a 3-4 defense, but he must get off the snap more quickly and better use his hands to fight through blockers. He'll be viewed as a late second-rounder unless he answers all questions in the spring.
- Pitt defensive end Greg Romeus started his senior season as a likely first-rounder but has struggled to stay healthy and now is viewed as a third-round prospect. Fellow Pitt defensive end Jabaal Sheard has filled Romeus' void and now is pretty much a first-round lock.
Sheard, a three-year starter, has good size with excellent arm length and some definite growth potential to play end or outside linebacker in the NFL. He is an outstanding athlete with explosive quickness out of his stance. He is a bit long-legged and has struggled some to change directions.
He plays strong, tough and physical at the point of attack vs. the run, using his hands well to slip blocks and make plays. However, he can get overmatched vs. double-teams and struggles to protect his legs from being cut. He has outstanding lateral range in pursuit from the backside, though, and is a strong tackler.
As a pass rusher, Sheard presents offensive tackles with a great deal of trouble. He can win with his speed, burst and closing ability around the edge. He also can counter back inside if the offensive tackle worries too much about protecting the corner. He also features an explosive spin move and a slippery "swim" move. Sheard can be a little stiff when moving sideways or backwards in the flat, but he is quick and agile moving forward.
Overall, Sheard merits mid-to-late first-round consideration and can play in any scheme.
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