Player Profile: Jesse Williams

Jesse Williams

Height:  6'3
Weight:  323
School:  Alabama
Position:  Defensive Tackle
Ranking:  #2 Nose Tackle
Projection:  2nd Round

Strengths
-Has the ideal size and bulk for the defensive tackle position
-Good speed for his size (4.84 40)
-Quickly fires off the ball and initiates contact
-Scheme flexability.  Can play 3-4 NT and DE or NT in the 4-3
-Displays a strong bull rush that can drive lineman back into quarterback
-Strong anchor.  Very hard to move off spot
-Great motor.  Never gives up on a play. 
-Good tacker.  Won't whiff on the ball carrier
-Football IQ continues to improve.  Finds the ball carrier easily
-Extremely tough and plays with a mean streak

Weaknesses
-No pass rush ability
-Struggles to shed blocks
-Short arms (32") makes it tough to keep lineman off his body
-Inexperienced.  Only started playing football at age 15
-A little too top heavy which causes balance issues
-Lacks good lateral quickness
-Injury concerns (knees, shoulder, concussion)
-Can get too aggressive and over pursue

Summary
In a league where the 3-4 defense is such a common place, prospects who can project to play the nose tackle spot are in demand.  Jesse Williams is one of those players.  Williams comes into the NFL with the experience playing in the 3-4 defense while at Alabama where he played both the defensive end and nose tackle spots.  However his game doesn't translate well to the nose tackle spot in the NFL.  Williams has good speed and initial quickness he uses to attack the offensive line and disrupt.  In one on one situations he is very tough to block.  He has a good bull rush that he uses to push lineman back and has a strong anchor to hold his ground.  However when he faces a double team which he'll see as a 3-4 nose tackle he struggles to disengage blockers and often is seen going down to a knee.  Part of this could be from the lack of lower body strength and short arms.  Williams would be much better off in a 4-3 defense in the nose tackle spot where he will see more one on one battles and can use his straight line speed and quickness to disrupt, rather than take on blockers.  However because the nose tackle spot is so important Williams will probably still be drafted to that position.  Look for a team like Philadelphia, San Diego, or the New York Jets to take a long look at him in the early part of the second round. 

Player Profile: Stedman Bailey

Stedman Bailey

Height:  5'10
Weight:  193
School:  West Virginia
Position:  Wide Receiver
Ranking:  #10 Wide Receiver
Projection:  Day 2 Pick

Strengths
-Experienced.  Played in all 39 games with 34 starts
-Productive.  1,622 yards and 25 TDs in 2012
-Large hands (9 7/8") makes it easier to catch the ball
-Never lets the ball get into his body
-Long arms (32") for his body frame
-Outstanding route runner who sets up his routes well
-Possesses good speed for the position (4.52)
-Good footwork allows him to get in and out of breaks
-Can make defenders miss in the open field.  Has a little wiggle
-Good body control that allows him to make plays along the boundary
-Does a good job locking up defenders in the run game
-Good work ethic
-Provides kick return ability

Weaknesses
-Lack of  quickness (1.58) may problems creating separation
-Doesn't have the ideal height (5'10) or weight (193) of an outside receiver
-Isn't going to go up and fight for a ball
-Doesn't catch many balls outside of his frame
-Has the tendency to drop catch-able balls

Summary
Playing in a wide open spread offense Stedman Bailey was one of the most productive receivers in college football last year.  He hauled in 1,622 yards and a waping 25 touchdowns.  Bailey used his good speed and elite route running to get himself open and pile up the stats.  When you watch Bailey play it almost looks like he is mailing it in by running lazy routes.  However but uses this change of speed and good footwork to set up his routes and create separation from defenders.  Bailey is also the master of double moves and has a knack for getting past defenders and make big plays down field.  He had good hands and does a good job of plucking the ball out of the air, however Bailey isn't a receiver that is going to fight for the ball.  He does most of his catching in open space.  What is the most impressive is that Bailey has great body control and uses it to make great catches along the sidelines and in the end zone.  Stedman played mainly on the outside in college, but he'll be forced to play in the slot.  There he can uses his route running on short and intermediate routes to move the chains.  Look for him to go somewhere in on day two.

Position Breakdown: Offensive Tackles

For the longest time the offensive tackle has been one of the most important positions in football.  Keeping the quarterback upright and opening holes in the run game 

Elite Prospects
Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
DJ Fluker, Alabama

Luke Jockel and Eric Fisher are the top two tackles in this draft.  Both are elite level tackles who have everything NFL teams want out of a left tackle.  Fisher is a better athlete and a little bit longer, but Joeckel is a better run blocker and more proven against top level competition.  Joeckel is the safe pick where as Fisher might have the more potential.  Also fitting into this group is DJ Fluker.  Fluker isn't my third ranked tackle and probably will never play left tackle in the NFL.  But despite that, he is still an elite level player.  Fluker is a massive man who has great strength and is a better athlete than people think.  But he just doesn't have that lateral quickness that you need to man the left size.  He'll be an instant starter and the potential to be a Pro Bowler.

Boom or Bust
Lane Johnson, Oklahoma
Menelik Watson, Florida State
Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Every year we see players that come into the draft with a lot of raw talent.  They have the physical skills to be great, but run the risk of becoming a huge flop.  The dreaded Boom or Bust label.  This year we have three players that really fit into this category.  Lane Johnson is the third rated tackle in this class and has a great chance to go in the top 11 picks.  A former quarterback he has the size and athletic ability teams like.  But teams worry about his strength and experience at the position.  Menelik Watson is a former basketball player whose only played two years of football.  He picked the game up pretty quick and footwork is top notch.  He's only played right tackle in college, but has the skills to be a left tackle.  Terron Armstead was the star of the Combine breaking all sorts of records, but he is more than a workout warrior.  He uses that athletic ability as a top level pass protector.  But the way he run blocks isn't going to get it done in the NFL.  He is going to need some serious coaching up.

Right Tackles
Brennan Williams, North Carolina
Chris Faulk, LSU
Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin

The top guys is who everybody wants to talk about, but for years teams have been able to find quality starters in middle to late rounds.  Mitchell Schwartz was a second round pick and started at RT day 1 for the Cleveland Browns.  J'Marcus Webb was a 7th round pick who has started the past two years at LT for the Chicago Bears.  This year we have a few guys here that have the potential to become starters either right away or pretty soon.  Brennan Williams has the athletic ability of a left tackle, but his pass blocking skills keep him on the right side.  But if a team that runs a zone blocking scheme that needs a right tackle could insert him in right away.  Unlike Williams, Chris Faulk and Ricky Wagner both played left tackle, but that's not where they project in the NFL.  Both Faulk and Wagner are big strong powerful blockers.  They uses their size and strength to move defenders off the ball.  They lack the elite athletic ability and footwork to succeed at left tackle, but teams that run man blocking schemes will look to them to open up holes on the right side in the running game. 

Question Marks
Justin Pugh, Syracuse
Vinston Painter, Virginia Tech
Luke Marquart, Azusa Pacific

Much like the boom or bust category, the players that fit into the Question Marks are prospects who could be good, but there are just too many question marks about them.  Justin Pugh is a familiar name to some because he is getting a lot of attention from some experts.  However I see a lot of question marks.  Pugh has good athletic ability and looks like he could be a good LT.  However he has short arms and lacks good strength.  Pugh is going to have to find the right fit and scheme to be successful.  Vinston Painter is another name that stood out at the Combine with a good showing of athletic ability and raised some eyebrows.  However Painter was unassuming at Virginia Tech.  Was he a poor scheme fit?  Or just a workout warrior?  Luke Marquart is a mountain of a man (6'8 315) but coming from Azusa Pacific nobody really knows anything about him.  Maybe that's why 29 teams came to watch is Pro Day.  Marquart is a former basketball player who is still learning the position.  However he was coached by NFL Hall of Famer Jackie Slater and provides a lot of intrigue to NFL team.s

Player Profile: Terron Armstead

Terron Armstead

Height:  6'5
Weight:  306
School:  Arkansas Pine Bluff
Position:  Offensive Tackle
Ranking: #6 Offensive Tackle
Projection: Day 2 Pick

Strengths
-Has the frame (6'5) to be a left tackle
-Long arms (34") that allows him to keep defenders off his body
-Extremely athletic for his size (Fastest 40 for any lineman)
-Good strength (31 reps in bench).  Won 8 SWAC shot put championships
-Shows elite quickness (2nd fastest 10 yard split) off the ball
-Quick feet he uses to mirror pass rushers and keep them in front of him
-Shows good balance without lunging.  Never lunging
-Uses a good hard punch to keep defenders off balance
-Tough.  Played with a broken collar bone

Weaknesses
-How good of competition did he face?
-Not a great run blocker
-Despite strength, isn't going to force players off his spot
-Doesn't have a great anchor.
-Needs to add weight
-Not sound fundamentally
-Only fit in a zone blocking scheme
-Can get too high when blocking both in the run game and in pass pro

Summary
Terron Armstead was the star of the Scouting Combine using the platform to show of his athletic ability and get his name out there.  This caused teams to go back and watch his film and as a result he is shooting up draft boards.  However once you look at his film you see that he is more than a workout warrior.  He showed this when he was invited to the Shrine and Senior Bowl and held up against high FBS level competition.  Armstead has great footwork and long arms that allows him to mirror pass rushers and keep them in front of him. He has good strength and it shows when he locks on a defender they are done.  However it would be in his best interest to add some weight which will help him develop a better anchor against bull rushes.  What Terron needs to improve the most is in his run protection.  He does a great job of getting into position, but lacks the strength to move defenders off the spot.  He is nothing more than a positional blocker.   Because of this his best bet is to land with a zone blocking scheme that can take advantage of his athletic ability and have him on the move.  The good thing for him is that the NFL is a passing league and keeping the QB clean is the top priority.  Because of that he'll likely go somewhere in the second or third round.

Player Profile: Jamar Taylor

Jamar Taylor

Height:  5'11
Weight:  192
School:  Boise State
Position:  Cornerback
Ranking:  #8 Cornerback
Projection:  2nd Round

Strengths
-Experienced.  4 year player 48 career starts
-Uses strength (22 reps) to jam receivers at the line.
-Great quickness (1.47) and fluid hips used to change directions
-Good top end speed (4.39) that allows him to not get beat.
-Uses speed to fly to the ball
-Has good anticipation that allows him to stick to receivers
-Has the ability to play tight or off receivers
-Does a great job of reading QBs eyes in coverage
-Has a knack for creating splash plays (fumbles and INTs).  6 Force Fumbles in 2012
-Has a short memory. Doesn't let previous plays bother him
-Effective blitzer (4 sacks in 2012) off the edge
-Willing tackler in the run game

Weaknesses
-Short arms (30.68")
-Durability.  Knee and hamstring issues in past
-Not a great tackler.  Misses a lot
-Doesn't have good hands.  Drops more than he should.
-Can be too aggressive at times
-Can get engulfed at times in the run game

Summary
Jamar Taylor has used a great daft process to really up his stock.  Taylor was flying under the radar at the end of the season, but used the Senior Bowl and Combine to show that he has the skills that teams covet out of the cornerback position.  Jamar Taylor is a good athlete that has the top end speed, quickness, and hips to stick with receivers in man coverage.  Taylor also shows good strength and physicality in press coverage and making plays in the run game.  He isn't afraid of contact and is a willing run defender.  He needs to improve his tackling technique because he misses too many tackles.  Taylor is also a good blitzer and was able to get to the quarterback and create sacks and fumbles.  Where Taylor does a lot of things pretty well, he isn't dominant in any of them.  He still has a ways to go to improve.  But teams will look to take him somewhere in the second round based on his talent and potential.  He'll thrive early in his career as a slot corner, but should be able to develop into a starter.  He reminds me a lot of a poor man's Ronde Barber because of his all around skill and knack for blitzing off the edge.  Don't be surprised if the team that drafts him moves him to free safety where could be even better.

Player Profile: Travis Frederick

Travis Frederick

Height:  6'4
Weight:  312
School:  Wisconsin
Position:  Center
Ranking:  #2 Center
Projection:  2nd Round

Strengths
-Big frame allows him to play both center and guard.
-Has the size and strength to take on the big 3-4 nose tackles
-Experienced playing both center (18 starts) and guard (13 starts)
-High Football IQ.  Understands reads, blitzes, and stunts.  Keeps head on a swivel
-Quick powerful hands he uses to jolt defenders
-Well coached with solid fundamentals
-Strong anchor.  Extremely hard to get pushed back
-Uses strength to push defenders off their spot
-Good footwork makes up for lack of quickness
-Plays with the nasty demeanor coaches love
-Doesn't give up.  Plays through the whistle

Weaknesses
-Isn't a great athlete
-Quickness isn't where you would want it to be (1.85)
-Doesn't move well latterly
-Doesn't always keep his feet moving
-Will struggle getting to the second level

Summary
If you are looking for a big, strong, physical, mauling center, then Travis Frederick is for you.  He is going to use his strength and size to push defenders around and open up holes in the running game.  Frederick doesn't have great athleticism, but he makes up for it with sound technique and a high football IQ.  He uses his hands well to jolt defenders and keep them in front of him.  What Frederick struggles with is quicker defenders that take advantage of his lack of lateral quickness.  Because of his lack of athletic ability he only projects to teams that run a man blocking scheme.  Frederick does also brings some versatility having played both center and guard while at Wisconsin.  He projects best at center, but can fill in at guard if needed.  Frederick compares a lot to former teammate Peter Konz and should go somewhere in the mid to late second round. A team to really watch is Baltimore who needs somebody to replace Matt Birk at center.  Frederick's skill sets fit what the Ravens like out of their lineman.

Player Profile: Sylvester Williams

Sylvester Williams

Height:  6'3
Weight:  313
School:  North Carolina
Position:  Defensive Tackle
Ranking:  #4 Defensive Tackle
Projection:  Top 25

Strengths
-Good size and bulk for the DT position
-Long arms (33") that allow him to keep blockers off his body
-Good strength (27 reps) that he uses to shed blockers
-Great quickness he uses to fire off the ball
-Uses speed and quickness to penetrate into the backfield
-Doesn't give up against double teams
-Good anchor.  Hard to move off spot
-Uses his big hands (10") to win hand fights and keep himself clean
-Great motor.  Always going hard.  Never gives up on plays.
-Position flexibility.  Can play both DT spots in the 4-3 and the DE in the 3-4
-Has a knack for blocking kicks

Weaknesses
-Can struggle to disengage from double teams
-No pass rushing moves.  Needs to develop something
-Inconsistent pad level.  Gets too high at times
-Raw.  Only played 5 years of football
-Can overpersue or bite on fakes
-Can disappear in games

Summary
Sylvester Williams has all the tools to be an All Pro defensive tackle.  Williams has the size and bulk that teams like and is a good athlete.  He has good quickness and explosion that allows him to fire off the ball that can disrupt the backfield.  Williams uses his strength to be a stout run defenders.  He uses his long arms to take on blockers and then shed them when he needs to make a play.  His strong anchor makes it very difficult to move him off his spot and really can clog up the middle.  The problem with Williams is that he is still raw.  He's only played five years of football and it shows up at time.  Despite his size and athletic ability, he isn't a dominant pass rusher.  A big part of that is he hasn't developed any strong moves.  But with his lack of experience he should be able to develop something with a little more coaching.  Williams projects as a 3 technique DT who can use that speed and quickness to penetrate and disrupt.  However with his strength and run stopping ability he could also play the NT spot in the 4-3 and the 5 technique in the 3-4.  That versitility will make him attractive to a lot of different teams.  Williams could go as high as Dallas at 18 but shouldn't fall past the Broncos at the end of the first round.  Teams will fall in love with his skill set and potential.