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Janoris Jenkins stands up to A.J. Green
By Kevin Weidl
I was in Jacksonville, Fla., for the SEC East matchup between Florida and Georgia, a game that was filled with NFL prospects and featured one of the top individual matchups of the season.
Here are the prospects who stood out most for both teams, listed in order of their current Scouts Inc. draft grade.
Florida CB Janoris Jenkins (Grade: 94) vs. Georgia WR A.J. Green (Grade: 96)
Jenkins was able to get the best of Green for most of the day, starting with an interception on Georgia's first offensive play of the game. Jenkins was in zone-bail technique and did a great job reading the quick three-step drop of QB Aaron Murray, cutting underneath Green on a hitch route and picking off the pass.
Green rose up at the top of his stem and could have done a better job selling the route on the interception, and Jenkins used his quick feet and change-of-direction skills to limit Green's separation on most other short-to-intermediate routes. Green was able to run by Jenkins on a few longer routes, though, utilizing double moves within his stem to get Jenkins to turn his hips, and showing an extra gear to run by him on both a post and outside go route.
On the whole I give the edge to Jenkins. Green did catch a late touchdown that was thrown into triple coverage, but overall he was held in check and ended the day with just four catches for 42 yards.
Coming into the game I was interested to see how Jenkins would hold up in the face of his toughest challenge of the season and he passed the test with flying colors. What stood out most was his ability to quickly plant and drive from zone-bail technique. His feet are always under him and he has excellent balance as a result, and he was also able to turn and run with Green when aligned in press technique.
Top-end speed remains a question and Jenkins lacks elite size, but after seeing him and the other top corners on our board -- No. 1 Patrick Peterson and No. 2 Prince Amukamara -- play in person I can safely say Peterson is a notch above the others but that Jenkins has the tools to immediately challenge for a starting job in the NFL.
As for Green, his long frame is thicker and more defined than I anticipated and what I saw against Florida only reinforced my belief that he is hands-down the top wide receiver prospect in the nation. He has very loose hips and is light-years ahead of Alabama's Julio Jones and Pittsburgh's Jonathan Baldwin in terms of route-running savvy to set up and separate from defenders.
Green lacks elite quick-twitch elusiveness but has the top-end speed to exploit creases after the catch, and he also showed a nasty straight-arm as a runner. He did not have a big day in terms of production but Murray did not see him breaking open at times and flat-out missed the mark on a few occasions when Green had separated. Overall, Green is the rare wide receiver prospect worthy of an early first-round grade.
Florida C/G Mike Pouncey -- Grade: 80
Pouncey turned in a nice performance against the Bulldogs. I like his ability to quickly snap and step and he was consistently in position as a run blocker. He did a nice job moving his feet and keeping them underneath him when engaged, but I do question whether he has the inline power and overall base that made his twin brother Maurkice a first-round pick last year.
Mike was impressive in pass pro, though, displaying good lateral mobility and hand use and the ability to sink and anchor against power moves. Mike is not worthy of a first-round grade right now but does look like a solid second-rounder who can develop into an adequate starter at the next level.
Georgia G Clint Boling -- Grade: 79
Boling lined up at right guard most of the night, and while he took good angles and was able to get into solid initial position I question his overall power base when caught in a phone booth. I did like his athleticism and ability to identify and get to targets at the second level both on combo blocks and when pulling down the line of scrimmage. He also showed good short-area quickness with his pass sets and proper hand use. Boling has been used as both a tackle and guard this year but at this point he looks like a better fit inside and as such will bring good value as a midround pick.
Georgia CB Brandon Boykin -- Grade: 78
I was impressed with Boykin's athleticism and top-end speed. He shows the fluidity to hold up in man coverage and on several occasions used his hands well to disrupt the receiver's release. Boykin struggled a bit with awareness and was caught out of position at times, and he could take better angles and break down more effectively as an open-field tackler. However, he showed the raw tools and versatility to hold up against slot receivers as a nickelback and contribute as a returner and gunner on special teams, and that makes him a fringe-second-round prospect at this point.
Florida S Ahmad Black -- Grade: 75
Black is an undersized prospect with a thin frame (5-9, 190 pounds) but he is a heck of a player. He is the quarterback of the secondary and is always around the ball. He is elite in terms of recognition and angles, and while Black lacks ideal ammunition he is not afraid to throw his weight around and is an aggressive and fundamentally sound tackler.
Black had 12 tackles (two for losses) against Georgia, including a sack that resulted in a forced fumble and a turnover. His lack of size will certainly hurt his stock but I still believe he brings good value as a fringe Day 2 pick who can contribute as a utility sub-package reserve and non-returner on special teams.
Florida S Will Hill -- Grade: 67
Hill came up with two interceptions, including a critical pick in overtime, and his size (6-1, 210), athleticism and overall range give him a high ceiling. However, after seeing him in person, the questions that arose during preseason film study are still there.
He is aggressive filling downhill against the run and flashed ability to deliver a big hit, but Hill takes too long to diagnose plays and is often late to the party. He also gets caught peeking into the backfield too often, and a 63-yard touchdown run by Georgia WR Tavarres King was a perfect example. Hill failed to hold his water on a play-fake and was out of position, which opened up the middle of the field for King. At this point Hill is still failing to live up to his considerable potential and remains a midround prospect in my mind.
Florida OT Marcus Gilbert -- Grade 53
There's a lot to like about Gilbert's frame (6-5, 320) and athleticism. He was light on his feet and did a good job of using his length to ride rushers past the pocket. The concerns I have with Gilbert are his lack of technique with his footwork and overall anchor in pass pro. This was magnified during the first quarter when Gilbert over-set and DE Demarcus Dobbs beat him back inside for a sack. Gilbert has natural tools and his flaws are correctable with proper coaching, so he grades out as a midround pick.
Georgia FB Shaun Chapas -- Grade: 32
Chapas is a bit undersized and lacks elite point-of-attack skills, but he was aggressive as a lead blocker and displayed excellent technique. He moved his feet well and sustained blocks, and while Chapas lacks elite size his versatility as a receiver and special-teams contributor make him worthy of late-round consideration.
Georgia ILB Akeem Dent -- Grade: 30
Dent was around the ball all night and his instincts are up to par, but I have concerns about his range and pursuit angles. He looked tight in space and struggled to drop his weight when having to redirect quickly. This was evident on an outside run play when Dent was buckled by a stutter move from Florida RB Jeff Demps around the edge. This lack of athleticism and elite instincts make him a late-round or free-agent prospect.
Georgia OLB/DE Justin Houston
During film study prepping for the game I was impressed with Houston's quick get-off and strength as a pass-rusher, and he did not disappoint on the field. Houston was consistently able to gain the edge, used his hands well and flashed finishing power. His half-sack in the first half gives him 9.5 on the season, and while he needs some refining in terms of instincts and setting the edge as a run defender, the junior is turning heads in scouting circles and is a player to keep an eye on moving forward.
By Kevin Weidl
I was in Jacksonville, Fla., for the SEC East matchup between Florida and Georgia, a game that was filled with NFL prospects and featured one of the top individual matchups of the season.
Here are the prospects who stood out most for both teams, listed in order of their current Scouts Inc. draft grade.
Florida CB Janoris Jenkins (Grade: 94) vs. Georgia WR A.J. Green (Grade: 96)
Jenkins was able to get the best of Green for most of the day, starting with an interception on Georgia's first offensive play of the game. Jenkins was in zone-bail technique and did a great job reading the quick three-step drop of QB Aaron Murray, cutting underneath Green on a hitch route and picking off the pass.
Green rose up at the top of his stem and could have done a better job selling the route on the interception, and Jenkins used his quick feet and change-of-direction skills to limit Green's separation on most other short-to-intermediate routes. Green was able to run by Jenkins on a few longer routes, though, utilizing double moves within his stem to get Jenkins to turn his hips, and showing an extra gear to run by him on both a post and outside go route.
On the whole I give the edge to Jenkins. Green did catch a late touchdown that was thrown into triple coverage, but overall he was held in check and ended the day with just four catches for 42 yards.
Coming into the game I was interested to see how Jenkins would hold up in the face of his toughest challenge of the season and he passed the test with flying colors. What stood out most was his ability to quickly plant and drive from zone-bail technique. His feet are always under him and he has excellent balance as a result, and he was also able to turn and run with Green when aligned in press technique.
Top-end speed remains a question and Jenkins lacks elite size, but after seeing him and the other top corners on our board -- No. 1 Patrick Peterson and No. 2 Prince Amukamara -- play in person I can safely say Peterson is a notch above the others but that Jenkins has the tools to immediately challenge for a starting job in the NFL.
As for Green, his long frame is thicker and more defined than I anticipated and what I saw against Florida only reinforced my belief that he is hands-down the top wide receiver prospect in the nation. He has very loose hips and is light-years ahead of Alabama's Julio Jones and Pittsburgh's Jonathan Baldwin in terms of route-running savvy to set up and separate from defenders.
Green lacks elite quick-twitch elusiveness but has the top-end speed to exploit creases after the catch, and he also showed a nasty straight-arm as a runner. He did not have a big day in terms of production but Murray did not see him breaking open at times and flat-out missed the mark on a few occasions when Green had separated. Overall, Green is the rare wide receiver prospect worthy of an early first-round grade.
Florida C/G Mike Pouncey -- Grade: 80
Pouncey turned in a nice performance against the Bulldogs. I like his ability to quickly snap and step and he was consistently in position as a run blocker. He did a nice job moving his feet and keeping them underneath him when engaged, but I do question whether he has the inline power and overall base that made his twin brother Maurkice a first-round pick last year.
Mike was impressive in pass pro, though, displaying good lateral mobility and hand use and the ability to sink and anchor against power moves. Mike is not worthy of a first-round grade right now but does look like a solid second-rounder who can develop into an adequate starter at the next level.
Georgia G Clint Boling -- Grade: 79
Boling lined up at right guard most of the night, and while he took good angles and was able to get into solid initial position I question his overall power base when caught in a phone booth. I did like his athleticism and ability to identify and get to targets at the second level both on combo blocks and when pulling down the line of scrimmage. He also showed good short-area quickness with his pass sets and proper hand use. Boling has been used as both a tackle and guard this year but at this point he looks like a better fit inside and as such will bring good value as a midround pick.
Georgia CB Brandon Boykin -- Grade: 78
I was impressed with Boykin's athleticism and top-end speed. He shows the fluidity to hold up in man coverage and on several occasions used his hands well to disrupt the receiver's release. Boykin struggled a bit with awareness and was caught out of position at times, and he could take better angles and break down more effectively as an open-field tackler. However, he showed the raw tools and versatility to hold up against slot receivers as a nickelback and contribute as a returner and gunner on special teams, and that makes him a fringe-second-round prospect at this point.
Florida S Ahmad Black -- Grade: 75
Black is an undersized prospect with a thin frame (5-9, 190 pounds) but he is a heck of a player. He is the quarterback of the secondary and is always around the ball. He is elite in terms of recognition and angles, and while Black lacks ideal ammunition he is not afraid to throw his weight around and is an aggressive and fundamentally sound tackler.
Black had 12 tackles (two for losses) against Georgia, including a sack that resulted in a forced fumble and a turnover. His lack of size will certainly hurt his stock but I still believe he brings good value as a fringe Day 2 pick who can contribute as a utility sub-package reserve and non-returner on special teams.
Florida S Will Hill -- Grade: 67
Hill came up with two interceptions, including a critical pick in overtime, and his size (6-1, 210), athleticism and overall range give him a high ceiling. However, after seeing him in person, the questions that arose during preseason film study are still there.
He is aggressive filling downhill against the run and flashed ability to deliver a big hit, but Hill takes too long to diagnose plays and is often late to the party. He also gets caught peeking into the backfield too often, and a 63-yard touchdown run by Georgia WR Tavarres King was a perfect example. Hill failed to hold his water on a play-fake and was out of position, which opened up the middle of the field for King. At this point Hill is still failing to live up to his considerable potential and remains a midround prospect in my mind.
Florida OT Marcus Gilbert -- Grade 53
There's a lot to like about Gilbert's frame (6-5, 320) and athleticism. He was light on his feet and did a good job of using his length to ride rushers past the pocket. The concerns I have with Gilbert are his lack of technique with his footwork and overall anchor in pass pro. This was magnified during the first quarter when Gilbert over-set and DE Demarcus Dobbs beat him back inside for a sack. Gilbert has natural tools and his flaws are correctable with proper coaching, so he grades out as a midround pick.
Georgia FB Shaun Chapas -- Grade: 32
Chapas is a bit undersized and lacks elite point-of-attack skills, but he was aggressive as a lead blocker and displayed excellent technique. He moved his feet well and sustained blocks, and while Chapas lacks elite size his versatility as a receiver and special-teams contributor make him worthy of late-round consideration.
Georgia ILB Akeem Dent -- Grade: 30
Dent was around the ball all night and his instincts are up to par, but I have concerns about his range and pursuit angles. He looked tight in space and struggled to drop his weight when having to redirect quickly. This was evident on an outside run play when Dent was buckled by a stutter move from Florida RB Jeff Demps around the edge. This lack of athleticism and elite instincts make him a late-round or free-agent prospect.
Georgia OLB/DE Justin Houston
During film study prepping for the game I was impressed with Houston's quick get-off and strength as a pass-rusher, and he did not disappoint on the field. Houston was consistently able to gain the edge, used his hands well and flashed finishing power. His half-sack in the first half gives him 9.5 on the season, and while he needs some refining in terms of instincts and setting the edge as a run defender, the junior is turning heads in scouting circles and is a player to keep an eye on moving forward.