Alabama S Mark Barron Scouting Report

Positives:

• Aggressive at the line as a blitzer and run stopper. Projects to strong safety at the NFL level.
• Good tackler, very physical player that is unafraid to add an extra pop
• Durable size (6-2, 218), above average speed, shows ability to go up for the ball in coverage and make a play
• Above average as a man-to-man defensive back
• Shows great awareness in coverage and makes smart decisions
• 12 interceptions over the past 3 1/2 seasons

Negatives:

• Can take bad angles to the ballcarrier when tackling
• Can be too aggressive and is susceptible to biting on the playaction
• Lack of great speed and range can hinder him when beat in coverage
• Played with a torn pectoral muscle in 2010
• Character questions after misdemeanor charge this past March and history of a torn pectoral.

NFL Comparison: Former Cowboys & Bengals Safety Roy Williams

Packers Could Seek D-Line Help in Draft

Midway through the 2011 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers injury bug and lack of pass rush at the defensive end position has added pressure to the secondary, which has, in turn, led to a rough start for the entire Packer defense.  It is safe to say that the loss of Mike Neal to injury in the first half of the season has been a disappointment, as the 2010 second round pick has gotten on the playing field only a handful of times in his first two seasons. With Howard Green, C.J. Wilson, and Ryan Pickett manning the end positions, the Green Bay line is stout against the run, but struggles to get to the quarterback. 

In analyzing this position of need, there are two players I have identified as possible help for the line via the draft. 

Nebraska's Crick (6'6, 285) is a prime candidate for the 3-4 DE position at the next level, having played as both a defensive end and tackle for the Cornhuskers. Crick's 2011 campaign has been cut short due to a torn pectoral injury, but he was coming off of two prior seasons in which he recorded 9.0 and 9.5 sacks, respectively. Crick shows a nonstop motor and appears to be a blue-collared type of lineman in the mold of Aaron Kampman.  Though Crick does not have the same elite sack artist skills that made Kampman so unique for his size, Jared does possess the ability to bull rush, as well as occasionally get around the tackle with his speed to rush the quarterback. One of the things Crick does especially well is his ability to diagnose and react to plays in both the run and pass. It was unfortunate that he went down with an injury this season, Jared Crick could still be a mid to late second round pick this upcoming draft.

Boise State's Billy Winn (6-4, 295) has experience on the inside and outside and stands out for his quick burst off the snap to penetrate the line and make stops in the backfield.  He has had a slower start to this season, but had a breakout season as a sophomore when he had 6.0 sacks and 12..5 tackles for a loss.  Though Winn can get caught up in blocks and sometimes disappears, he does seem to show a sense of energy play in and play out that could be molded into an effective part of a defensive line rotation at the NFL level. His numbers do not reflect the impact he makes on the Broncos line and I see Winn as a late second, early third round pick, with his stock on the rise.

Prospects on the Move

From NFL Draft Countdown: NFL prospects rising and one dropping thus far in the college football season.

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/HotList/Hot-List.php

First Round RBs After First Game

• Oregon's LaMichael James was slowed down by LSU's defense in the Ducks' loss and was held to just 54 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. It was the second straight game against an SEC opponent, dating back to the 2010 BCS Title Game against Auburn, in which James struggled to get anything going. There's no doubt that James has speed and quickness, but how well will he be able to translate his talents to the next level against NFL defenses and will he ever be more than just a third down back?
  
  
  
• Likewise, Alabama's Trent Richardson had difficulty in terms of yardage yesterday against Kent St. He only rushed 13 times for 37 yards, but did manage to score three touchdowns. However, his limited number of carries could have been a result of the Tide's overwhelming 48-7 victory. Richardson has always had the blend of power and speed to be effective and without Mark Ingram this season to split carries, Trent should produce game in and game out. Mocks are starting to place him in the top five picks already....

Whose Bubble Will Burst?

With less than two weeks until the Green Bay Packers kick off the regular season against the New Orleans Saints on September 8th, it is the time of year where General Manager Ted Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy are nearing their final cut-downs in reaching the 53-man roster that will hopefully re-punch Green Bay’s ticket to the Super Bowl.

But before those cut-downs take place on September 3rd, it is time to begin speculation on a few of the Packers on the bubble of making this year’s squad.

RB Dmitri Nance, 2nd season, Arizona State

Nance was picked up early in the 2010 season off the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad after Ryan Grant was placed on injured reserve. He played sparingly in 12 games, rushing 36 times for 95 yards (2.6 average) and catching three passes. Though he was not expected to make the team coming into training camp, Nance has had a very good camp and appears to be the best running back on the current Green Bay roster to fill in the void as a third-down back left by the departure of Brandon Jackson in free agency. Nance’s superior pass blocking and ability to catch screens just might help him make a squad that already features James Starks, Ryan Grant, and third-round pick Alex Green. Do not forget that the Packers will probably only keep one to two fullbacks this season, compared to three in 2010, so an additional roster spot in the backfield is open if needed.

QB Graham Harrell, 1st season, Texas Tech

Harrell was placed on the practice squad last season after signing as an undrafted free agent and was elevated to the 53-man roster for several games after Aaron Rodgers suffered concussion injuries. Harrell has arguably improved the most out of any second-year player and Coach McCarthy, a quarterback guru, must have seen enough last season to justify keeping him around on a team that already features an All-Pro in Rodgers and a top NFL backup in Matt Flynn. With Flynn’s contract up after this season and Matt almost certainly looking for a starting role elsewhere, is Harrell developing enough to become the number two quarterback spot next season? More importantly, if the Packers release him, is there any way they could hope to retain him for the practice squad among other NFL teams searching for a backup quarterback?

WR Chastin West, 1st season, Fresno State

A member of the Green Bay practice squad in 2010, West has impressed coaches and analysts alike with a strong camp and excellent performance last week against the Arizona Cardinals in which he caught five passes for 134 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown reception from Matt Flynn that got his name circulating in the Green Bay community. Last year, the Packers kept five wide receivers – Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Brett Swain – and have added Randall Cobb to the mix via a second-round pick this offseason. Swain has not stood out this preseason and will most likely not make the team, while Cobb is a lock and has looked promising this camp in five receiver sets. West could be a sixth receiver and, with his experience last season, could make the team depending upon whether or not Green Bay sees Jordy Nelson in its future after this season.

TE Andrew Quarless, 2nd season, Penn State

Quarless filled in as a starter for Jermichael Finley last season and had his share of ups and downs in terms of dropped passes, but also made some big catches. What did not seem to be his forte was catching the quick slant patterns that Finley excelled at and is a big part of the Packer offense. There is certainly a learning curve in a rookie season, but it was peculiar when Green Bay drafted two tight ends in the offseason – Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams. Williams, who has stood out among all rookies in training camp, is a pass-catching tight end in the mold of a better Tory Humphrey of a few years ago. Taylor has shown the potential to be an H-back at some point and is on nearly all of the first team special teams units. With Finley a lock to start, the statuses of Quarless and Tom Crabtree are in doubt. Quarless showed up late to camp after failing his physical and struggled as a blocker last season. Meanwhile, Crabtree was valuable as a run blocker and special teams performer. How many tight ends will the Packers keep? Three, four, five? Though all are talented enough to make the opening day roster, my guess is only four will do so for the Green and Gold.

DB Pat Lee, 4th season, Auburn

The former second-round pick Lee has been injury prone throughout his tenure in Green Bay and is without a doubt in jeopardy of losing his spot on the roster. A fourth cornerback at best the past few seasons, he had a surprisingly solid Super Bowl performance when Charles Woodson and Sam Shields went down with injuries. However, Lee was burned badly against the Cleveland Browns this preseason and he has received competition in camp from Josh Gordy, who recorded a sack and interception against the Browns and was the fourth cornerback against the Cardinals last week. It seems almost certain that Lee will be released, especially since his value as a returner has diminished with Cobb’s emergence in training camp.

Who's the Real Terrelle Pryor?

Make no mistake about it, I'm not going to beat a dead horse on the offseason situation of Terrelle Pryor. What I am going to talk about is how well Pryor can play at the next level at the quarterback position, considering he should be picked in Monday's NFL Supplemental Draft (potentially between rounds 3 and 5).

Pryor might even be more athletic than 2011 #1 overall pick Cam Newton, but has three years of starting experience (and a 31-4 record) to Newton's one; he's also played in a pro style offense. Both are strong runners with big frames, but Pryor measures 6'6, 233 pounds and possesses 4.4 speed and a stiff arm that pummels defenders to the ground to go along with excellent arm strength; he quite possibly could develop into the best NFL quarterback in escaping pressure.

However, questions will always surround Pryor's character, accuracy, and inconsistency. In some games, Pryor will have a tight spiral and throw beautiful passes to open receivers after scanning the field. In some games, he will look to run before anticipating his receivers' routes. His accuracy is the same way. Sometimes the ball is right on the money, but sometimes the throw is forced or thrown into double or triple coverage when he's pressured. Below is analysis from two of Pryor's biggest games in his collegiate career with opposite impressions.


Analyzing the Rose Bowl vs. Oregon


Terrelle Pryor was impressive against the Ducks, who possessed a quality defense. Pryor broke some longer runs on third down and was able to escape pressure and run for the first down several times. But what was most impressive was the way his eyes were downfield before he looked to run. He found open receivers that turned into long gains, whether it was his running back or wide receiver. He did not force throws and made good reads with an incredibly tight spiral 20+ yards downfield. Pryor's decision making single-handedly won the BCS game for the Buckeyes.

Tale of Two Halves


In last year's Sugar Bowl vs. Arkansas, Pryor's game can best be described as a tale of two halves. In the first half, he was nearly unstoppable. He ran for huge gains, threw beautiful passes to the outside of the field, and collected a pair of amazing touchdown passes (15-yard out pass to Dane Sanzenbacher and 43-yard pass to DeVier Posey down the middle of the field). With a 28-10 lead at halftime and Pryor breaking down the Razorback defense, it looked as if OSU was in total control. But in the second half, Pryor began forcing throws and his accuracy suffered. He also struggled to run the ball as Arkansas started to bring the blitz and frustrated him after several failed possessions. Though Ohio State held on to win the ballgame, Pryor's performance left scouts wondering which Pryor they saw that evening.


Final Thoughts

So what do I think? The consistency from game to game just is not there to consider Pryor to be a bonafide potential NFL starter, but his athletic ability and "wow" plays just make you feel like he could develop into something special with a coach who really cares and wants to make him better. About 10 teams scouted Pryor at his pro day, but not all see him as an NFL quarterback. Some believe he could be a wide receiver or tight end with his freakish size and speed, much like Arkansas's Matt Jones a few years ago. I believe Pryor will struggle to be a starting quarterback, but could provide a threat as a 2nd-stringer. I wish I would have been able to see the progression Pryor could have made his senior season, as he had improved his raw quarterback skills each and every year with the Buckeyes. The next chapter of Pryor's career starts tomorrow.

Kellen Moore Scouting Report

Heading into his senior season at Boise State, quarterback Kellen Moore is a Heisman hopeful and one of the most well-known college players around the country. As he attempts to lead the Broncos to a national championship, Moore will also be looking to increase his stock for the 2012 NFL Draft. With that, here is my scouting report on Kellen Moore.

Positives:

• Three-year starter
• Has been highly productive as a passer, throwing for 3,400+ yards all three seasons. Threw for 3,845 yards last season, in addition to 35 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. As a junior in 2009, his numbers were astounding, throwing for 39 TDs to only 3 INTs.
• Has had big games against big competition, throwing for a combined 1,190 yards, 10 TDs, and 1 INT in 2010 against Virginia Tech, Oregon St., Nevada, and the bowl game against Utah.
• Spreads the ball around very well to receivers, tight ends, and backs.
• Good variance playing under center in the I-formation and in shotgun with 4-5 receiver sets.
• One of the most accurate passers in college football, especially when his feet are set and has time to throw. Possesses great touch on short to intermediate throws. Accurate over the middle and can zing it into tight spaces, even on the run.
• Has great awareness of where pass rush is coming from and anticipates receiver breaks. Has decent mobility to escape the rush.
• Has ice in his veins; almost flawless in clutch situations. Has led game-winning drives in big games versus Virginia Tech and Nevada the past two seasons.

Negatives:

• Appears a bit nervous under pressure and has the tendency to force throws into double coverage.
• Has the habit of throwing off of his back foot on occasion and has a mixture of a side arm and over the top delivery.
• Size is an issue (6'0, 190). Can he see the whole field and can his body hold up to hits by NFL lineman?
• Only above average arm strength to make long passes downfield.
• Has faced marginal conference opposition in the WAC.
• Has benefited greatly from his receivers, especially in 2010 with Lions 2nd round pick Titus Young and Rams 3rd rounder Austin Pettis.

Overall:

Moore possesses the ability to develop into a solid pro if he can develop more of a comfortable presence in the pocket under defensive pressure and continue his excellent accuracy.  Size and arm strength will always be questioned, but Moore has shown the leadership and moxy in win or lose situations that cannot be taught. Could really benefit from a year to study the game before being thrust into a starting role and should be a 3rd or 4th round pick who could make a jump to the 2nd round depending on how well he plays this season and whether he can lead Boise St. to a BCS bowl. 

Games to watch: vs. Georgia, Sept. 3 -- vs. Nevada, Oct. 1 -- vs. TCU, Nov. 12