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.

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.

Expansion Mock: Berlin Blitzkrieg Analysis

Overall Expansion Mock results: http://expansionmock.tumblr.com/

Berlin Blitzkrieg roster: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fosvU_mPfxqU_FhADEYk9thXLCqIxhy-K8J1J1LrYaQ/edit

GMs: Derrik Klassen (myself, @Draftklassen) and Chandler Miller (@CMScouting)

Mock set up by @OscarHazell, official hashtag: #ExpansionMock

Drafting strategy:

With the NFL being the pass-happy league that it is, building a strong passing attack was key. Other than the first round selection of Anthony Barr, who still impacts the pass game on the opposite side of the ball, the rest of our selections in the first five rounds were the core of the passing attack (QB, LT, WR, and TE). Not only that, but we also decided to take another wide receiver two rounds later.

The positional group in which we waited on was defensive backs, not because we forgot, but because of the solid talent that could be found in the mid-late rounds. Alford and Gratz are not “top shelf” talents, but they are special young talents that have plenty of room to grow. They also fit the scheme appropriately. Waiting on defensive backs allowed for us to grab other positions of need and stack up talent in other places, especially the front 7 (five of seven were selected in round 11 or earlier).

Offensive Scheme:

At first, it was undecided as to what type of offense would be ran. As the board fell and we chose certain players, it became clear that a Pistol/Power Run offense would be the most efficient. QB Hundley has experience with the read-option and will team up with Jay Ajayi behind the monster run blockers of Berlin to violate teams on the ground. Pulling Jon Halapio will be key to the success of the read-option.

Brett Hundley will have Tyler Eifert (TE), Kasen Williams (WR), and “Nuk” Hopkins (WR) as his main weapons. Each of them was or will be top five, if not top three or even the best, at their position for their respective draft class. Along with them is Trey Burton who will be playing the “Joker” role. He will be utilized at FB, TE, Slot WR, and Wildcat QB. The collection of the four creates mismatches for opposing defenses and should be able to allow one of them, at the very least, to get open on every down.

Defensive Scheme:

Right off the bat, it was decided that we would run a hybrid defense based out of the 3-4. The 3-4 scheme allows for more intricate blitzing packages to throw off opposing QBs. As if the creativity wasn’t enough, the personnel along the defensive front is stellar. Anthony Barr (1st round selection) would be reunited with college teammate Datone Jones (6th round selection). Opposite of those two would be Dominique Easley and CJ Johnson who would be a bit more run-stopping oriented. Also, ILB Kiko Alonso would see a fair amount of blitzing opportunities. The cornerback duo of Alford and Gratz fit perfectly for our press-man tendencies. Since only 22 selections were made, we found it necessary to find a safety who could play nickel. Luckily, Jemea Thomas fell down the board and will play SS, but has nickel CB versatility.

Player Breakdowns:

Offense

QB Brett Hundley — As a freshman, Hundley carried UCLA all the way to the PAC12 Championship game where Stanford barely defeated them. Hundley shows natural poise and leadership and flashes all the tools to be a franchise quarterback.

RB Jay Ajayi — A freshman stud who looks like he could be Jamal Lewis’ son. Ajayi is a relentless and violent runner that refuses to go down without a fight.

“Joker” Trey Burton — Burton is essentially football’s version of a Swiss Army knife. Sans the offensive line, Burton can be at least somewhat productive from anywhere on the field.

WR1 Kasen Williams — Athletically, Williams is unreal. He comes in at 6’3’’ and has the speed and physicality to dominate opposing cornerbacks. Also, he’s a big play waiting happen after the catch.

WR2 DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins — “Nuk” is essentially a safety blanket. He’s a smaller, quick receiver that thrives in space and catches virtually everything.

TE Tyler Eifert — Few tight ends have the receiving ability of Eifert. He high points the ball and plucks it right of the air with ease.

LT Cyrus Kouandijo — Despite coming off of a knee injury, Kouandijo showed superb athleticism. His footwork is quick, especially his first step, and he is a feared run blocker.

LG Chris Watt — Watt is a solid run blocker with serviceable pass blocking ability. His run blocking capabilities allow him to fit into the system well.

C Brian Schwenke — Fluidity and dominance in the second level is Schwenke’s specialty. With two maulers at his side, his athleticism provides balance and compliments the other two quite well.

RG Jon Halapio — Few, if any, guards in college football can move people like Halapio. With LSU being a prime example, Halapio hands out pancakes left and right to opposing defensive lineman.

RT Cameron Erving — Although he is a bit of a project as a pass blocker, the athleticism to be elite is there. In the running game, Erving is an animal and completely removes defenders from the play.

Defense

OLB Anthony Barr — Other than Clowney, few, if any, pass rushers rival Barr. His quickness along with underrated strength make for a nearly unstoppable force off the edge.

DE Datone Jones — Not only is Jones an ideal 3-tech, but he is being reunited with former UCLA teammate Anthony Barr.

NT Jesse Williams — As an NT should be, Williams is a massive gap-plugger. Although, don’t let that fool you. He moves rather well for his size.

DE Dominique Easley — Explosiveness is the name of the game for Easley. His first step is dominant and can end any given play before it even begins.

OLB CJ Johnson — Johnson’s go-to weapon is his deadly spin move, but don’t give him room on the edge because he will beat you there as well.

ILB Kiko Alonso — Versatility makes Alonso a lethal weapon in our 3-4 defense. He would be ideal for dropping back in coverage and for blitzing.

ILB Andrew Jackson — While Alonso is the athlete, Jackson is more physical. Jackson makes for a solid thumper linebacker that will free up other defenders.

CB Robert Alford — With the press-man tendencies, Alford fits the scheme better than almost any other CB in his class. Along with his press ability, Alford has the athleticism to keep up well in man coverage.

FS Tre Boston — Despite being a mediocre tackler, Boston is an exceptional coverage safety. His range is unrivaled as he shows tremendous speed.

SS Jemea Thomas — Thomas is a human missile that can command in the box. Along with his box safety ability, he has nickel safety flexibility and can be shifted to play in that position.

CB Dwayne Gratz — The length and athleticism from Gratz makes him an ideal fit for the press-man tendencies. Pairing him with the parallel ability of Alford will create a nasty, physical tandem.

Chandler Miller’s comments:

“We drafted players according to what we liked and wanted for our scheme instead of just the top remaining players.”

“Our offense is explosive, and our defense will get to the passer like no other. ‘The QB must go down and he must go down hard.’ – Al Davis”

Player Profile: Stephen Morris, Miami (FL)

Along with Tajh Boyd and Bryn Renner, Stephen Morris will be representing the ACC in the 2014 NFL Draft. After being listed as a dual-threat QB coming out of high school, Morris has morphed into a pro-style pocket passer. Morris is certainly the best QB to come out of the U in recent memory, but considering it’s compared to Jacory Harris and Kyle Wright, that doesn’t say much.

Physical traits and athleticism: 

Listed at 6’2″ and 214 Lbs., Morris is a bit undersized, but not to the extent in which it will be a problem or affect his draft stock. As previously stated, Morris was recruited as a dual-threat and can run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5 to 4.6 range. While he has the speed to be mobile run the ball, he often doesn’t. He chooses to pass the ball instead of run, which is good for some situations, but it’s a waste of natural talent.

Mechanics:

The most glaring flaw in Morris’ game is footwork. He rarely sets his feet correctly and follows through with his throws. He depends solely on his arm to make the throws. Throwing mechanics such as those won’t fly in the NFL. His throwing motion is essentially a 3/4 motion considering it’s high and wide. With this motion, Morris has a quick release and gets the ball out of his hands faster than most QBs in the nation.

Mental make-up:

Morris tries to “sense” the blitz coming and leave the pocket, but often he just bails the pocket too early and before any serious pass rush is threatening him. He needs to settle down and stand strong in the pocket. Instead of simply bailing the pocket, I’d like to see him move around in the pocket and use it effectively. While he tends not to force short and intermediate passes, he loves to throw the deep ball, even if the WR isn’t open. Morris is also completely fixed on throwing the ball, even if he has a wide open gap in the field to run through. It is a complete waste of his natural ability and often just ends with incomplete passes.

Arm talent:

I can’t decide whether Morris has an arm or a cannon attached to his shoulder. His arm strength is arguably second to none in this draft class. The tight spiral and distance that he can put on his throws is quite impressive. Unfortunately, his accuracy is rather inconsistent on all levels of the field. This is partly due to his footwork, but even on occasions in which he did set his feet, the throw isn’t quite where it needed to be. Even on short 7 yard passes, he’ll throw at his WR’s feet. He needs to tame his wild accuracy a bit more before I can take him seriously as an NFL starter.

Draft grade (as of now):

Well, while the physical tools are there, his mechanics, mental make up, and accuracy need serious work. His potential is frighteningly good, but he is still far from that point. Next year will be make or break for him, in terms of proving he understands and can perform the finer skills of the trade. He isn’t a great QB now, but he certainly has loads of potential. Based on that potential, I’d be willing to take a gamble on him in the 3rd round or later.

Game notes:

Virginia Tech

– deep throw down right hash, overthrown by less than a yard. (Hit WR’s fingertips)

– intermediate ranged post to right side of end-zone. Threw when DB had his back turned. Put ball away from DB, only WR could make play (TD)

– deep throw down left sideline, overthrown by quite a bit

– hit WR on quick streak down left sideline. Placed right over a DB in short zone

– deep throw to TE on right side. Great placement over DB

– scramble right, deep throw to right side into coverage. Swatted away by DB. Incomplete

– deep throw down the middle into tight man coverage. DB swatted it away. (a bit underthrown)

– throw to WR near right hash. Thrown way over WR’s head. (intermediate range)

 

NC State

– scramble right, throw on run to WR on right sideline. Good placement into fairly tight coverage for a completion

– deep ball to left side. Great placement, hit WR in his stride. Complete pass.

– perfect placement on post to left sideline in end-zone. Thrown just over DB. Touchdown

– deep throw down left sideline. Great placement over DB (touchdown)

– deep throw down the middle into heavy coverage. Incomplete

– deep throw down the middle into double coverage. Incomplete

– deep throw down right sideline. Thrown too far right and went out of bounds

– deep throw down the middle, hit WR in stride

– deep throw to the left, a bit underthrown, but WR turned around and caught it

– overthrew screen pass

– hail mary down middle. WR got lucky and got behind DBs. (TD)

 

Duke

– deep ball to left side, slightly underthrown and swatted away

– hit TE well in stride crossing over the middle (intermediate range)

– deep ball down the middle, overthrown by a yard or 2

– scramble right, throw to WR on right sideline. Fit into a tight window. Completed pass

– scramble right, hit WR on right sideline. Solid placement

– Throw to deep comeback to right sideline. Good throw, but WR couldn’t hang on to it

– throw to right sideline on deep post. Put where only WR could catch it and WR caught it

– throw to WR on right sideline in end-zone, overthrown (intermediate line)

 

Player Profile: David Fales of San Jose State

There’s been quite a bit of hype surrounding the Junior College transfer. Fales ended up at SJSU after being at Nevada, Wyoming (only 1 semester), and then Monterey Peninsula College (Junior College). He left Nevada because he wasn’t ideal in their pistol offense. His short stint at Wyoming was quite possibly due to the competition of current QB Brett Smith. After his impressive year on the JuCo level, he made the transfer to SJSU for his Junior year and became the starting QB.

Physical traits and athleticism:

While he’s listed at 6’3″ and 220 Lbs., he doesn’t appear that tall. He looks more like he’s 6’2″ or even 6’1″. Even at 6’3″, his size is nothing more than average. His mobility isn’t anything special. He won’t ever break 20+ yard runs, but he has enough movement to keep a play alive and not stand like a statue in the pocket.

Mechanics:

Fales shows solid footwork and consistently plants his feet and follows through his throws. Doing so allows him to place his throws more precisely and put the ball in the ideal spot for the WR. His throwing motion is just a classic overhead motion. Like his motion, the speed in which he performs the motion is nothing extraordinary. It is neither quick or sluggish, it’s just average, which isn’t bad at all.

Mental make-up:

San Jose State’s offense is designed primarily for quick reads/progressions to get the ball out in a hurry. Fales does so efficiently and effectively to get the ball to an open WR as soon as possible. On occasion, Fales will refuse to look away from the primary WR and he will force a pass that he clearly shouldn’t have. His judgement on throws a bit deeper down the field also raise concern. Fales tends to try to force those passes and fit the ball into the smallest of windows. Against Iowa (see game notes), he threw a pass to a fairly deep WR in which both the DB and the WR turned around and had a fair chance at the ball. Luckily for Fales, the DB didn’t stop the WR from coming down with the ball. He even tried (and somehow succeeded again) to force a pass into triple coverage against Stanford (see game notes).

Arm talent:

Arm strength is Fales’ most notable flaw. On many occasions, he’s had open WRs, but due to lack of zip (timing routes) or pure arm strength (deep throws), he failed to complete the pass.  I wouldn’t even consider his arm strength to be average. This is a huge setback for a future NFL QB. Although, where he lacks in arm strength, he makes up for with elite placement. Few, if any, QBs throw a better back-shoulder pass than that of David Fales. The timing is flawless, as is the placement. Fales often leads WRs well and gets them the ball in their stride.

Draft grade (as of now):

Due to lack in arm strength, but enough mobility and solid progression reading ability, Fales is a great prospect for a West Coast offense. Although, he’d fit rather poorly in any other, largely due to lack in arm strength. Considering he’d be too one dimensional, I wouldn’t consider him a 1st rounder. While I understand how many could argue that he is, it can also be argued that he isn’t, which is what I have done. If Fales improves his arm strength, he could become an elite prospect.

Game notes:

Idaho

– foot on <35, deep throw on right sideline. Too much hang time, DB caught up and broke it up

– tried to force a throw on curl route. Got intercepted.

– foot on <45, pass caught on 25> near left hash. Tight coverage, but WR made the catch

– foot on 47>, throw near right sideline caught by TE around 15>. Perfectly placed.

– foot on 22>, throw to back right corner of end-zone into very tight coverage. Ball was bobbled and WR got lucky and caught it. Should have been easily defended

– Shows solid mechanics and footwork

– overthrew swing pass to left side

– foot on <17, deep throw to left sideline in tight man coverage. Lots of hang-time, but it dropped right over the DB and right into the WR’s hands at 41>

– flashes of decent mobility

– foot on 24> on right hash, ball thrown to left corner of end-zone. Good placement, but WR dropped it

– foot on 43>, threw to WR near right hash. Overthrown by about 5-7 yards

– foot on 43>, deep throw to end-zone, caught by open WR. (TD)

– When he adds velocity, he loses a bit of accuracy

– Shows that he can read progressions

BYU

– foot on <39, deep throw down middle of field. Caught near 15>, WR ran for TD

– foot on <15, throw near right sideline. Beautiful back shoulder throw caught at <45

– foot on <48, throw near left hash caught at 28>. Throw was a bit behind WR. Lost stride, but caught

– foot on 27>, threw 50/50 ball to far right side of end-zone. WR couldn’t make play.

– running through his progressions well

– foot on 26>, throw to right side of end-zone to a comeback route. Perfectly timed. DB couldnt make a play

– foot on <29, throw to WR on post to right sideline. Caught (low) at 42>.

– foot on 49>, throw near left sideline. Too much hang time. DB jumped route and intercepted it

– foot on <12, throw to TE on seam route. Thrown perfectly above defender. Caught at <45

– Rollout right, thrown with foot on <10. Comeback route by WR, caught on <28 on sideline

– Overthrew WR deep down right sideline. (thrown out of bounds. Completely uncatchable)

– threw to left side behind WR. WR wasn’t even ready. Ran right past where ball went.

Stanford

– threw a bit behind WR on slant. Catchable, but was dropped

– rollout right, quick throw to WR near sideline

– threw behind WR again on slant route

– foot on <29, throw to deep WR near right hash. WR had to slow down and turn around to try and catch it, but he dropped it.

– Forced throw into triple coverage, one DB dove too early and missed the swat. Pass complete

– rollout right, throw to WR down sideline. Completed.

– Tried to force throw over middle. LB dove and swatted it down.

– foot on 35>, throw near left sideline. WR made catch on sideline in tight coverage

– throw to WR deep down right side of field. WR failed to position himself correctly. Throw was catchable.

– Threw behind WR over middle. Still caught, but had to adjust drastically

– foot on 29>, throw over middle of end-zone. TD.

– Tried to force pass over middle. Throw was way behind WR. DB jumped route and intercepted it.

 (Also watched games against Colorado State and Louisiana Tech. Notes for those not included.)