Baltimore Ravens Preseason Week 1 Review

Preseason Week 1 is always a mixed bag, but for the most part, Baltimore looked like a strong, competitive team. The starting squad opened the game with a well executed touchdown drive. After that, many of the starters left the game, but the depth players were very good. Defensively, there is solid depth at nearly every position, on top of the starters themselves being a top notch group. For most of the game, Baltimore was in a 2-4-5 nickel, as expected. (A few GIFs will be on the surface of the article, while a few others will be links in the player’s name.)

Quarterback: In his one series, Joe Flacco was impressive. Quick, efficient enough. Tyrod Taylor was, as usual, a fun runner to watch, but poor as a passer. Unfortunately, Keith Wenning did not get to attempt a pass. That is a real shame considering how many attempts Taylor got (21).

Running Back: Both Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce looked quicker than last season, Pierce running harder. Lorenzo Taliaferro ran with urgency, and even stood-up a couple of tacklers. If the lanes are there, he will take advantage of them. Looking to be a solid No.3 back. Also, fullback Kyle Juszczyk showed solid receiving ability and daunting violence. Although, the fumbling has to stop. Pierce and Justin Forsett each had a fumble.

Wide Receiver: There is little to say about the top four receivers on the roster other than Steve Smith looked good despite his age. Kamar Aiken was okay, but had an ugly drop as a result of trying to “clap” the ball. Jeremy Butler had two impressive catches, both in which he was shoved to the ground upon catching the ball, one of which was a touchdown. He showed that he can hold onto the ball despite contact. Deonte Thompson disappeared for most of the game aside from a stunning sideline catch that required a diving effort. Michael Campanaro did not catch a pass, but he looked quick getting in and out of his breaks.

Tight End: Crockett Gillmore got a fair amount of snaps, but had nothing in the box score to show for it. Up and down as a blocker. Owen Daniels was exactly who was expected to be: a solid tight end No.2 with very good run blocking ability. Dennis Pitta caught a few passes on the opening drive- looked fluid.

Offensive Tackle: Eugene Monroe looked about as good as one can in the little he played. Ricky Wagner, on the other hand, was atrocious. He struggled mightily. Everything he does is too slow, and he was “put on skates” far too often. James Hurst was not subpar, at least. Though, he did have a holding penalty. Jah Reid and David Mims both struggled; Reid struggled because of overextending and waist-bending, whereas Mims was too passive.

Interior Offensive Line: The starting squad looked wonderful. Much better than anything we saw last season. Although, the 2nd team group was horrendous. Ryan Jensen was getting rag-dolled around by everyone that he faced. Gino Gradkowski and A.Q. Shipley struggled picking up correct assignments (as well as simply playing poorly), one of which lead to a sack.

Outside Linebacker: Terrell Suggs looked as quick and explosive as ever. Courtney Upshaw was holding down the edge well, covered a lot of ground on the perimeter. Pernell McPhee lacks a quick twitch and looked too laterally sluggish to be an edge player. John Simon looked mentally slow, beat around perimeter twice due to mental mistakes, such as poor angles. Nick DiMarco had a few impressive pressures late in the game.

Inside Linebacker: CJ Mosley was beat once in coverage, but aside from that, he looked like a capable starter. He was blitzing quite well, and even got a sack. Arthur Brown looked quick, but more is still to be desired. Rest of the corps, such as Albert McClellan and Josh Bynes, looked like they did last year: solid veteran backups.

Defensive Line: Nose tackle Brandon Williams was Baltimore’s best player against San Francisco and that is no exaggeration. Not only did he have an incredible 3rd-and-1 stop, but he continued over and over again to display brute upper body strength and the ability to generate pressure quickly. Of course, Haloti Ngata was solid as well, but Williams was incredible. In regards to depth, DeAngelo Tyson proved that he could generate pressure consistently, though he failed to ever finish. In replace of Williams, Timmy Jernigan was consistently okay with a few flashes of penetration. Not a bad outing for a rookie.

Cornerback: Jimmy Smith was kind of “just there” in the few snaps he played. Chykie Brown was a liability in every sense of the word. Twice he failed to get his head around to see the ball coming and he was flagged for pass interference on both plays. Reversely, Asa Jackson had a stellar performance. He was keeping up with everyone in coverage and even showed impressive field vision that earned him an interception. It is looking like the nickel job will be his.

To my surprise, Tramaine Jacobs looked like he could be the fourth best corner on the team. He shut out David Reed, proving that he can stay with him step for step in man coverage. Also, Dominique Franks looked to be fluid, and ended up with an interception. Lastly, Deji Olatoye did not do much in coverage, but proved to be an aggressive run defender.

Safety: Matt Elam was playing down near the line of scrimmage and he looked natural. On one play in particular, he did a wonderful job of containing the edge, allowing only one yard, if that. Darian Stewart was, like Smith, “just there,” although he did look rather slow. Jeromy Miles looked much better than I thought he would. He was in Elam’s role and had a couple of solid tackles near the line of scrimmage. Rookie Terrence Brooks did not really get much of an opportunity to actually do anything, but he appeared to be mentally fast and fluid in coverage. Brynden Trawick did not have anything of note in coverage, but came down hill strong on a few plays.

Overall, the depth of the team, especially at wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker, and safety, is incredible. The only position severely lacking depth is offensive line, so the starters staying healthy will be key. The offense looked like it can be more efficient than last season, and the defense looks like an overall faster, more violent group. With young players like Williams and Jackson showing promise so early on, the future is bright.

Johnny Manziel and Brett Smith: Who Is The Discounted Version?

Since the summer prior to the 2013-2014 college football season, comparisons between Johnny Manziel and Brett Smith were and have been rampant. In most cases, one was/is noticeably favored over the other and the other was/is seen as a “discount” version of the superior. There was a time where I felt Brett Smith was the superior. That time has passed. That notion was based on each of their 2012 seasons, a season in which Manziel was a raw passer.

Now, Manziel is not a completely polished passer, but is he more so than his redshirt freshman year? Certainly. His leap was large. For a single off-season, it was shocking. His efforts have earned him a first round grade from myself. Reversely, although he has done nothing to lower his stock, Smith retains his third round grade. Not that such a grade is bad, but it is lower than that of Manziel’s. Each are talented in their own right and the comparisons are fair, but Manziel is superior.

Where They Are Comparable:
Size-wise, the two are similar. Both are skinny for their height, but Smith is two inches taller and they weigh in similarly, leaving Smith to appear even more breakable. Neither protect their bodies to the best of their abilities either.

Both are mobile threats. When the pocket breaks down, both have the ability to sense the pressure and take off for open field. Similarly, they often choose to take off instead of moving around the pocket. Both show flashes of pocket manipulation, but neither do so to an extent to tout it as a definite trait.

Oddly enough, both have awkward drop backs. With Manziel, he has an awkward hitch at the end of most of his drops. It hinders his ability to quickly get out of his drop back and step up. In Smith’s case, his feet are clumsy and, once set, he gets “happy feet” and appears jittery. He can be caught mid-step and be forced to throw out of a hurried stance.

Luckily, both have one of the most underrated trait for a quarterback. Both can throw quite well from just about any platform. Whether it be on the run, jumping, or accord their body, both can still make fairly accurate throws out of such undesired platforms.

Although, the least publicized aspect of their comparability is the fact that both scramble in order to create time for their receivers to get open. Manziel gets crucified for doing so, yet Smith often gets praised for “making something out of nothing”, with “nothing” often being in reference to the combo of Wyoming’s poor receiving corps and offensive line. Technically, that’s exactly what he is doing, but because Manziel is in the SEC and has a better team, he is not allowed to do this? Why not? Is he supposed to sit dormant when a play clearly has not worked correctly? No. He, just like Smith, has an innate ability to free up his receivers with his feet and neither should be knocked for that trait.

Where They Are Not Comparable:
To different extents, both quarterbacks are athletic. In a straight line, Smith is superior. He has the speed to simply run past defenders. For Manziel, that is not the case. He is more “quicker than fast”. Now, that’s not bad, it just is what it is. Manziel will not blow right past defenders, but he will make a few miss on his way to the end zone.

Despite the label of Manziel being a “dumb” passer, he is smarter than most signal callers in this class, including Smith. Other than Bridgewater, no quarterback in this class looks off safeties better than Manziel. He did so multiple times against the highly regarded Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of Alabama. To have developed such a trait at his age is impressive. Even at the next level, many quarterbacks have yet to develop that skill. As of now, Smith does not have such a trait. He has not shown the ability to hold a safety to one side of the field, then fire and hit a man on the opposite sideline.

Smith, out of habit, has a poor, awkward release. His body does not move in sync and it leads to inaccuracies. Manziel’s release is much cleaner, allowing more of his passes to come out of his hand more cleanly. For Smith, it may be fixable, seeing that he has already made strides in the right direction, but it may never be at the level it needs to be.

While Manziel does not possess ideal arm strength, it is adequate. Although, it is assumed that because of his arm strength, he can not throw deep well. In reality, he does so better than many of the other quarterbacks in this class, Smith included. There were many instances where Mike Evans or a different A&M receiver separated themselves from the opposing defensive back and Manziel hit them in clean stride. Smith’s downfield passes float and hang, allowing the defender(s) to adjust to the ball and intercept it or, agh the least, knock it down.

Verdict:
Manziel is a polarizing prospect, no doubt. His game is unconventional, but the talent is undeniable. Manziel is a first round talent that, as a quarterback, has a likely possibility to end up being taken in the first ten picks. Smith is certainly a comparable prospect, but he truly is the discount version of Manziel, not vise versa. That being said, Smith is still a mid-round quarterback that may be groomed into a solid starter, but as of now, he is not better than Johnny Manziel.

Jeremy Butler Interview

The 2014 draft class sports a receiver class that is one of the deepest in the history of the event. Butler, along with so many others, is apart of that group.

The small schooler (Tennessee-Martin)
has his eyes set on the NFL and he will certainly find his niche in the league. Here’s a closer look at the talented receiver:

*Answers paraphrased*

Q1. What receiver do you try to model your game after?
“Nobody, really. I like to stay true to myself and make sure I don’t limit myself. You have to be able to be unlimited and be the best player you can be.”

Q2. Which NFL cornerback do you want to face the most?
“Patrick Peterson. He has the size, speed, and the hips. You have to bring your A-game on every play. He’s a man corner that can run with any receiver in the game.”

Q3. What do you feel is your best trait?
“Probably my mindset and mental makeup. I understand the position and how it ought to be played.”

Q4. If it were up to you, which NFL team would you most like to play for?
“Indianapolis. They run a good system and they let the best players play. Plus, Andrew Luck.”

Q5. What are you looking to prove at your Pro Day?
“My speed. I’m not a burner, but at the same time, I’m faster than I appear. Some say I’m a long strider, but I feel I move fluidly and well; that goes for my vertical ability as well.”

Blake Bortles, QB, UCF

More often than not in today’s NFL, the No.1 pick is often a quarterback. Without a quarterback, a franchise will struggle to thrive in this league and that is why they have landed the No.1 overall pick. There is currently speculation as to what the Houston Texans will do with the No.1 pick this year. Some suggest they will take Jadeveon Clowney or trade down, but neither should be the case. Houston needs a quarterback, plain and simple, but who? Many, as will I, say Teddy Bridgewater should be the pick, but Blake Bortles has often been brought up as a favorite of Texans new head coach Billy O’Brien, former Penn State head coach. After Penn State’s game against Central Florida, O’Brien spoke about Bortles, calling him “a heck of a player.” O’Brien is also known to like bigger, taller quarterbacks as opposed to those with average frames.  So, the question is, is Blake Bortles good enough to be the first player off the board?

Frankly, he is not. Now, that is not to say he is not talented, just not talented enough to be worthy of the first overall pick. At first glimpse, he may appear to be “that guy”, but as one digs deeper, it is apparent that he is not.

On the surface, Bortles looks the part. 6’4″, 230 pounds, and one heck of an athlete, as O’Brien might say. He is a mobile threat that has the ability to simply extend the play or bust off a huge run. In space and in the pocket, his size makes him rather difficult to bring down and can allow him to extend plays better than quarterbacks of smaller stature. Pair that with impressive instincts, functional natural arm strength, and understanding of pressure and a star quarterback is born, right? Wrong.

Mentally, Bortles has to make strides before he can be taken seriously as a player worthy of the first overall pick. He is a gutsy passer, the type of guy one would call a “gunslinger.” His tendencies to force passes he simply should not have is quite glaring and more often than not, they are deep attempts. In the NFL, and even at Central Florida, that will lead to mishaps and turnovers that could have been quite easily avoided. NFL safeties and linebackers will not be so forgiving. Not only is he an overly confident passer, but he struggles reading opposing safeties.

When scanning the field, Bortles often does not see opposing safeties or fails to look them off and force the pass anyway. In both circumstances, the ball often ends up incomplete or in possession of the opposing team. Against Penn State, a UCF receiver was running down the sideline. Said receiver was Bortles’ second read. Bortles fired without realizing Penn State had played Cover 2 and the safety intercepted the pass one the sideline. Had Bortles seen the safety, he could have had the opportunity to look for another option, such as his tight end crossing the middle.

A smaller incident came against South Carolina. Bortles attempted to attack the seam and did not appear to notice the single high safety. Bortles tried to drop the pass over the defender under the receiver, which he did, but his receiver got slammed by South Carolina’s safety.

Neither instance makes anybody on the offense happy.

He flashes the ability to be manipulative with the opposing coverage, but like the other facets of his game, it is not seen often enough to be banked on as a definite trait.

Now, Bortles does have some upside.

Bortles can be an accurate, high velocity passer that can also get good arch on deep passes. The only issue is that his inconsistencies with mechanics do not allow him to throw that well on a play-to-play basis. When he has proper form and footwork, Bortles can be a surgeon on any level of the field, but especially as a down field passer. That is his niche, if you will. In fact, he is one of the more impressive down field passers in the class and can hit receivers over the intermediate level as well. But, as stated, his footwork and mechanics hold him back from always doing so.

Bortles’ footwork is sloppy. It is uncoordinated and never appears the same way twice. When attempting throws farther down the field, Bortles rarely steps into the throw and drives the ball with his lower body. In Central Florida’s most recent bowl game against Baylor, such issues cost him a touchdown. Although, footwork was not the only fault in that throw, and many other deep throws that Bortles makes.

The term “gunslinger” truly does apply to Bortles because he functions much like a revolver, as odd as that may sound. On deep throws leans back, much like the hammer of a revolver, and thrusts his arm forward. The combination of that and his nonexistent footwork produced a floating pass that was inaccurate and intercepted by a Baylor defender.

When interior pass rushers get too close for Bortles’ comfort, he tends to fade away from his throwing arm and fling the pass into the unknown. It is clearly an attempt to protect himself, which is understandable, but he has the size and frame to stand strong, make the throw, and take the hit. Instead, his fading gesture can lead to many regrettable throws at the next level.

Such mechanic flaws and inconsistencies make his true potential rather tough to confidently evaluate. While he does have his deficiencies, as all do, he makes a case to be a star quarterback.

Bortles’ footwork is a mess, but where it leads him is not. Bortles senses edge pressure well and knows when and where to move in or around the pocket in order to compensate for the rush and extend the play. He flashes the ability to climb the pocket and find his man for a solid throw and catch. When he does climb the pocket, those are the plays in which his footwork looks nice and he uses his lower body to drive the ball. It is when he is allowed to stay dormant that he gets lazy with his feet and throws solely with his arm. With some NFL level coaching and motivation, he may be able to make strides to more consistently show “good Bortles” and become a deadly quarterback.

In the scenario that Bortles is flushed out of the pocket, there is no need to panic. Bortles can throw on the run rather well, better than a majority of the class. While he can not hit every pass, he is accurate enough to not have to build and scheme too heavily around him to keep him in the pocket. Although, with his athleticism, he would not do it anyway.

The easiest comparison for Bortles is Ben Roethlisberger. The size, the athleticism, the pocket handling; it all makes sense. It is not a perfect comparison, but none are. It is good enough so that an outsider could have a decent feel for Bortles before digging into his tape.

Theoretically, he is a prototype quarterback that will be able to come into a struggling franchise Day 1 to fix their issues and become their future, but realistically, that is not the case at all.

Realistically, he is a solid athlete with a functional arm that has too many mental and mechanic deficiencies to be taken seriously as a franchise quarterback at this point.  Going back to school would not hurt, but it is unlikely that he will. The way he is being talked up, it is likely he goes top ten, although he should not.

So, to answer the original question, is Blake Bortles good enough to be the first player off the board? No, he is not. Bortles has the size, athleticism, and enough potential to garner a second round grade, which is plenty good, but the No.1 overall hype is absurd. Whether or not O’Brien decides to jump the gun and take him with the first pick is yet to be known. Is it understandable that Houston take Bortles based on athleticism, size, and potential? Certainly, but it would not be a decision that will keep O’Brien in Houston for long.

Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado

In today’s NFL, speed kills (the opposing team, that is). The 6’2″, 170 pound speed demon that is Paul Richardson certainly fits that mold. Unfortunately, his frame is far from filled out and his frail body will be exposed to injury at the NFL level. Nonetheless, he is talented enough to be taken seriously as a possible weapon, despite his body frame.

While he is undersized in terms of his weight, Richardson plays bigger and more physical than he appears. At the catch point, he attacks the ball and forces his way into a position to make a play on the ball. Although, his hands are a question mark. As a blocker, he is willing to attack defensive backs.

Reverting back to the note on his hands, Richardson has rather porous natural receiving ability. While he has an odd knack for making some incredible catches on occasion, he generally has hands of stone. Here, Colorado’s quarterback drops the ball just over Richardson’s shoulder. Any average receiver should be able to make this catch, but Richardson doesn’t. Example 1

Not only does Richardson struggle catching the ball, but he seldom allows himself to do so. He is a mediocre route runner. Richardson has yet to understand how to use his head and body to trick cornerbacks into biting in different directions or hesitating. His feet are relatively slow when making cuts and he does not get enough initial separation from his breaks. He has all the north/south speed in the world, but that does not mean much if he can not separate with other tactics.

In tight spaces, his less-than-quick feet ans lack of use of his body are restrictive. Here, Richardson is near the goal line and fails to get the little separation he needs. The opposing cornerback does not hesitate one bit and blankets Richardson for the duration of the play. Example 2

To further expand on his evident unnatural receiving ability, Richardson has issues tracking deep passes at times, yet is referred to as a lethal deep threat. In this example, Richardson reads the ball’s trajectory incorrectly, hesitates for a moment, and the ball ends up being just out of his reach. Had he continued to run down field, this is a catch (assuming his hands do not fail him).  Example 3

Richardson is a seemingly unnatural receiver, but at the very least, he has his tremendous speed. At the next level, speed alone will not win him many battles, but he could end up being used as receiver in “empty” sets to simply stretch the field quickly. Although, a player with such a minuscule role as that should not be drafted highly. His speed alone will get him drafted higher than he should be, but he will be seen as a project receiver no matter what. With improved route running, he can become a lethal weapon because, combined with his speed, he would be able to separate very well. If he can separate, he sets himself up for fewer plays in which he has to make contested catches. By doing that, he finally becomes somewhat of a legitimate threat. But to digress, he is a raw, frail receiver that will struggle to separate and be prone to injury. A player such as himself should not be taken until the 6th round because the player that he is right now does not provide much value.

Zach Mettenberger, Quarterback, LSU

Tall, rocket-armed quarterbacks are the trend in Baton Rouge and Zach Mettenberger is no exception. He measures in at 6’5″ and weighs a stout 235 pounds. Such a frame is ideal both for seeing over his lineman and being able to withstand the relentless, brutal upper body hits of the NFL. Unfortunately, he suffered a left knee injury in LSU’s recent match-up against Arkansas. The knee had already been in a brace and Mettenberger may have taken his final snap as an LSU Tiger.

Few quarterbacks, if any, have shown as much improvement as Mettenberger has. Last season, especially early on, he had a laundry list of issues, mostly pertaining to pocket issues, confidence, and decision making. While remnants of such issues show their face on occasion, they are much less of an issue than they previously were. Improvement in itself is a sign of hope. It gives the impression that if the player can drastically improve from one year to the next, he may be able to continually do so. The GM of some team will likely bank on this factor when deciding to draft Mettenberger.

His evident boost in self confidence has led to a boost in success. Last season, he had trigger issues and did not seem to trust himself and his own ability. This year, he was fearless. It has come back to bite him at times, but has done more good than bad.

If showing improvement and confidence as a passer is not enough, Mettenberger has top tier arm strength that will attract scouts and the GMs that employ them. The velocity he puts on short and intermediate throws makes it much tougher for defenders to make a break on the ball and defend the pass. He has the ability to squeeze the ball into tighter windows than most other quarterbacks can. When throwing deep, Mettenberger has the ability to make strong throws “on a rope” and provide an impressive combo on velocity and arch, even without having to set his feet. Here, Mettenberger throws the ball 45 yards in the air without setting his feet. The pass hits Jarvis Landry in stride and graciously falls into his hands. Example 1

He tends not to step into deep throws, but when attacking the intermediate level, he steps into his throws and drives. Mettenberger tends to be quite accurate over the middle, but has a reoccurring problem in which he overthrows receivers crossing the middle of the field. Here, Jarvis Landry is wide open over the middle of the field. If the throw had been accurate, it is an easy touchdown, but it is not. Mettenberger overthrows his receiver and misses his opportunity. Example 2 At the next level, this may prove to be problematic and lead to interceptions. He will need to learn to tame his cannon of an arm.

But digress back to his footwork. Mettenberger’s drop backs into the pocket are sluggish. He has “iron feet” and it may end up causing him to find himself a split-second or two behind the play. Even when maneuvering in the pocket, he appears slow, but it should not be too pressing of an issue. When trying to escape the pocket, his sluggish manor becomes detrimental. He fails to elude pressure and he is a complete non-factor as a rushing threat, allowing teams to either bring the entire house on him or drop back extra players in coverage without having to worry about him getting away.

Mettenberger’s most glaring flaw is decision making. Despite showing improvement from last year, it is still an area that he struggles with. When forced off of his spot and out of the pocket, Mettenberger makes panicky throws. He rushes his decisions and forces passes instead of throwing away or taking the sack. In this example, Mettenberger rolls out to his left, as designed, and an Alabama defenders stumbles in front of him. When the defenders begins to get up, Mettenberger panics and forces a throw. The throw is terribly under thrown and is nearly intercepted by CJ Mosley. Example 3

Another flaw in his decision making is progressions. Normally, he does a good job of working through his reads, but from time to time, he will get fixated on one target and refuse to look away from them. Here, Mettenberger throws to a receiver that he was staring down. The receiver is clearly covered, but Mettenberger fires anyway. He is lucky that this pass does not get intercepted. Example 4

To his credit, he often sets himself up to succeed pre-snap. Mettenberger often shifts his split backs to the boundary and allows them to work in space against a linebacker. While he does not necessarily attack that match up every time, he is giving himself one more option. He also recognizes blitzes and slides protection accordingly. Here, Georgia’s safety starts to blitz, but Mettenberger raises his head as he realizes that the safety is blitzing. After Mettenberger recognizes, he and Jeremy Hill point out the blitzer and Mettenberger calls for a change in protection. Example 5 The play itself was a touchdown pass.

As a whole product, Mettenberger has quite a few flaws, some of which he may never grow out of. His phenomenal arm and knowledge of pre-snap adjustments give teams a reason to believe he can be a franchise quarterback, but his flaws may restrict him too much. Mettenberger’s heavy feet and struggles as a decision maker may turn him into an easily forgettable player. The upside is evident, but the flaws will be tough to mask or grow out of. Taking his recently torn ACL into consideration, drafting him prior to the third round is not worth the risk, even if the reward could be substantial. There is still a long journey to the draft, but this is where Mettenberger stands at the moment.

Ego Ferguson, LSU, Defensive Tackle

At 6’3″ and 309 pounds, Ego Ferguson has the size to become a well-rounded defensive tackle at the next level. He does not have the body frame of a human mountain, but he will not have any issues being bullied around because he is significantly smaller than his opponent. Athletically, Ferguson may have issues.

Ferguson’s initial punch is rather weak. Rarely does he knock the opposing lineman off of his set. In LSU’s game against conference opponent Mississippi State, Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State’s left guard, stonewalled Ferguson on every snap in which the two faced off on passing plays. Ferguson struggled finding a way around Jackson as well. To be fair, Gabe Jackson is first round talent, but if Ferguson intends on proving his worth, he needs to show some success against top tier talent.

Against other opponents, Ferguson still does not flash a strong punch, but he does show active hands. When he’s on, he is a relentless fighter that repeatedly attacks lineman’s frame. Although, these attacks are not overpowering either. Relentless, but manageable. Ferguson will make his money going around lineman as opposed to attacking them head on. He often swipes while moving laterally to get outside of the lineman’s frame, then makes his run at the quarterback. Here, Ferguson makes his swipe, but gets arguably held and does not quite make it to the quarterback. Nonetheless, it was a successful rush move. Example 1

Again, Ferguson makes a move outside and nearly gets to the quarterback, but he gets the ball out too quickly. Ferguson stayed well enough on course to have been able to make a play despite being pushed outward. Example 2

Despite being somewhat weak as a pass rusher, Ferguson has a strong base and is stout against the run. He anchors well and refuses to lose his ground. When running backs attempt to bypass him, he uses his arms to quickly disengage and snap to the runner. In this example against TCU, Ferguson handles a double team, disengages, and is a part of the tackle. Example 3

While he has a strong anchor, he occasionally has struggles in the run game. It shows up when pass rushing as well, but Ferguson will get sloppy with his footwork, lose his balance, and be quite easily knocked over. He tends to cross over or get his feet too close together, allowing lineman to take advantage of his unbalanced set.

Overall, Ferguson shows certain skills that suggest he can be a successful starter in the NFL. He’s a more impressive run stopper than he is pass rusher, but he flashes upside. His tendencies and ability to go around lineman could potentially be used to open up lanes for blitzing linebackers or stunts. His lack of elite athleticism makes it tough to justify him as a top draft pick considering he does not dominate with technique either. At his point, Ego Ferguson is a rotational run plugging defensive tackle. The upside to become a serviceable starter is there, but he will need to work on his footwork and hit the weight room a bit over the off-season. Ferguson should be taken around the fourth or fifth round. Selecting him in the third round could be justified, but is a slight stretch.

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State

Jason Verrett, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, and Bradley Roby were all the hype coming into this season, but another phenomenal cornerback has emerged among them. Darqueze Dennard of Michigan State has shown improvements from his 2012 self and it has vaulted him into first round consideration.

As of now, Dennard measures in at 5’11” and 197 pounds. In no way is Dennard’s frame and build restrictive. He has enough size and length to keep up with any wide receiver in the NFL. Dennard does not sport blazing sub-4.40 speed, but he will not be simply out ran by the average wide receiver, nor will elite speed receivers have an easy time out running him. Strength and physicality is a key piece to Dennard’s game. He’s often seen doing a lot of fighting at the line of scrimmage and the catch point.

Physicality is both a gift and a curse for Dennard. He does a good job of using his hands to punch and create space without garnering a flag, but gets too grabby at times and the play often ends with a penalty.  Here, Dennard gets beat off the snap because he was attempting to call something out. In a panic, Dennard grabs a hold of the wide receiver’s jersey and gets called for it. Example 1

This is another example of Dennard getting to grabby with the receiver. He pulls him down and is called for his obvious foul. Example 2

Although, as stated before, he can often get away with contact. Dennard is a physical corner that is always fighting with his opposing receiver. Here is an example of Dennard relentlessly fighting through the entire play, but getting away with it. Example 3

While he does enjoy being physical, the cliche “brain over brawn” will not beat him. Dennard is a knowledgeable and smart cornerback. He does an excellent job reading the wide receivers eyes and hand movements to gauge when to attack the catch point. Similarly, in zone coverage, he reads the quarterback well and pounces to either immediately defuse the play and make a tackle or break up the pass.

Dennard rarely gets beat down field when he has proper positioning, which he almost always does, but he can be beaten off the snap. Dennard will be too slow to react or  flip his hips with poor coordination at times. Due to this, receivers gain an immediate advantage over him and beat him, much like the first example in which Dennard grabbed the receivers jersey to recover. Here, Dennard flips his hips and loses his footing. He is beaten, but luckily, the quarterback had a predetermined read on the opposite side of the field. Example 4

When not beaten off the snap, Dennard keeps tight to the receiver’s hip pocket and allows little to no cushion. He runs along with them, constantly fighting to slow them down and force them out to the boundary to take them out of the play. Although, in the run game, Dennard essentially takes himself out of the play.

Despite his quick twitch and natural physical tendencies, Dennard is a poor tackler. He often flings himself at defenders, as opposed to breaking down and wrapping up. He has flashed the ability to do so, but often does not. It may appear as if he is a serviceable tackler, but a majority of his tackles are him fighting into massive groups of people and being a supporting piece in a gang tackle. In fairness, it shows a willingness to tackle and it can be built upon to make him a better tackler.

Darquze Dennard is not perfect, but no prospect is. His pros outweigh his  cons. The first round consideration that is surrounding him is well deserved and appropriate. He is a superb coverage cornerback in both man coverage and in zone. He shows a willingness to tackle and room to improve technique wise as a tackler and in man coverage. He certainly needs to become less grabby, but it appears that all Michigan State cornerbacks are the same way, so it is likely a product of coaching. Dennard is arguably a top three cornerback in this class and worth a first round draft pick.

Shaquil Barrett, DE/OLB, Colorado State

At 6’2″ and 250 pounds, Barrett does not have elite  size, but he is not undersized. He lies somewhere in the middle of the scale, but unfortunately does not seem to have much room to fill out his frame anymore. His size is similar to current NFL pass rushers with success, such as Robert Mathis, and has more length than Elvis Dumervil. Nothing about his size is restricting him from terrorizing quarterbacks.

Where Barrett may be limited is quickness. His initial burst off of the snap is nearly nonexistent. As the ball is snapped, Barrett is slow to react and begin his pursuit to the quarterback. Not only that, but he lacks “quick twitch” explosion to compensate for his mediocre reaction time.

To make up for his lack in quickness, Barrett wins with technique and active hand usage. As seen below, Barrett attacks the frame of Alabama Left Tackle Cyrus Kouandjio’s. Kouandjio is able to recover and Barrett fails to drive to finish his sack, but nonetheless, Barrett collapsed the pocket on AJ McCarron and put pressure in his face.

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Again, Barrett uses his hands, but this time, he wins and gets around the edge. Had the quarterback not gotten the ball off so quickly, this is a sack.

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Once more, Barrett shows active hands as he forces Anthony Steen into AJ McCarron’s face.

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Although, Barrett relies too heavily on his speed and quickness, which he does not have much of. He rarely attacks the frame of the opposing lineman, although he did in the first image. Tenacity and physicality to that degree is seldom seen out of Barrett. Too often he appears hesitant get physical with lineman when pass rushing.

Even when Barrett does get physical, he fails to convert speed to power. In the first example where he knocked Kouandjio off of his set, Barrett should have been able to keep driving and finish the sack, but he did not. It cost him a sack and allowed McCarron to make the throw. Wasted sack opportunities will cost one their job in the NFL.

This lack of physicality also allows for lineman to violate him and get within his frame when he chooses not to attack the lineman. When this happens, he can be pushed off of his spot and has little chance of recovering to make a play. Below, Cyrus Koandjio gets within Barrett’s frame due to Barrett’s hesitancy at the point of attack.

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In fairness, Barrett’s lack of physicality forces him to do something he does rather well: bend the edge. Barrett utilizes his shoulder dip to get positioning, then drives his legs to beat offensive tackles around the edge. More times than not, when Barrett gets to the edge and dips, he wins. 

Here is an example of such bend. He gets to the perimeter, dips his shoulder, and blows past Kouandjio.

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As a pass rusher, Barrett flashes talent, but has noticeable flaws that would need time and growth to be fixed, but as a run defender, he is much closer to where he needs to be in order to succeed at the next level.

Barrett shows both fluidity and use of leverage against the run. When not engaged at the line of scrimmage, Barrett flows from sideline to sideline with respectable speed and awareness. When he is forced to engage at the line of scrimmage, Barrett often utilizes his leverage to get inside and under the offensive tackle and disrupt a play.  Most impressively, he disengages quickly in space and pounces at ball carries.

Here, Barrett dips inside the man intended to block him. While the play was stuffed anyway, Barrett showed quick penetration and backside pursuit to the ball carrier.

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In space, Barrett has quickly thrown off a blocker in order to attack an opposing ball carrier. The two examples below are a small sample of such talent.

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In regards to Barrett as a whole product, there are glimmers of hope and legitimate talent, but he is far from a finished product. Barrett is a developmental pass rusher that should not be taken too high. His lack of elite athleticism negates from him being as coveted as a prospect considering how fundamentally incomplete he is. At this stage in his career, Barrett being a senior, it is concerning that he is still as raw as he is. NFL general managers should not put Shaquil Barrett’s name on a card until about the fifth round. Any higher than that and picking Barrett should be considered a reach. His ceiling would make him nothing more than a low-end starter or a decent rotational rusher. But, as stated, that is his ceiling, which he is quite far from reaching.

Shaquil Barrett can have success on the pro level, but it will take time for him to grow and he may never become starter quality. Nonetheless, he can contribute and is worth a day three pick in the NFL draft in May.

Brett Hundley Leads UCLA in Emotional Victory

The loss of a loved one is never easy to cope with, no matter the relation. The UCLA Bruins lost a beloved member of their family on Sunday, September 8th. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Nick Pasquale was fatally struck by a car while he was walking in a residential neighborhood. In honor of the fallen teammate, UCLA football players wore a No.36 patch on all their jerseys. The Bruins, led into battle by Brett Hundley, played a game that will never be forgotten.

UCLA had an early match up on the road against Nebraska less than a week after the passing of a teammate. Emotionally and mentally, the team should have been shattered. Initially, they were. The Bruins looked abysmal for most of the first half, letting Taylor Martinez throw three touchdowns while producing little offensive success of their own, but there was still plenty of football to be played. Brett Hundley drove the Bruins downfield at the end of the second half with a Houdini act in the pocket that led to a first down run followed by a beautiful placed strike down the right sideline. Two plays later, Paul Perkins pounded it in for a touchdown and UCLA had suddenly awoken.

The drive had sparked a fire within the UCLA squad, both on offense and on defense. Brett Hundley had a newfound confidence that he had not had earlier in the game. With the Bruins next four possessions, he marched them down the field for touchdowns as he delivered well placed throws, backed by the strong support of his running backs. Following the third touchdown of the streak, a twelve yard pass to Phillip Ruhl, Hundley payed tribute to his fallen brother. He pulled out a towel with Pasquale’s number and waved it almost like a victory flag.

All the while, the Bruins defense had been stopping the Cornhuskers in their tracks and did not allow anymore points after the half. They too had a newfounded fire within them, a desire to win. Pass rushers became fiercer, linebackers grew relentless, and defensive backs refused to allow Martinez to complete passes. It was a new UCLA team, a team that knew they could not let their former teammate down.

By the time it was all said and done, Hundley and the Bruins stood tall with a 41-21 victory over the Cornhuskers. Despite starting the game on the wrong foot, being on the road in a deafening BIG 10 stadium, and having to cope with the tragic loss of a teammate, the Bruins battled on in honor of Pasquale’s memory and certainly made him proud. Pasquale will forever live on in the hearts of the Bruin family and he will never be forgotten.

(Brett Hundley vs Nebraska: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWFM7t_1SUs — Courtesy of Nick Page)