Scouting Report #4 - Scott Crichton - #4 DE

Perhaps I'll get through two scouting reports today, but maybe I won't. Either way, as you can see, I'm not doing this in any particular order. If you want to view any of my old reports all you have to do is click here and then click on the date next to the player. With that said, a lot has been made recently of Scott Crichton and his passing rushing abilities, so I wanted to take a look myself. First his measurables:

Name: Scott Crichton
School: Oregon State
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 265 lbs
NFL Position: 4-3 DE maybe a 3-4 OLB

The first game we are going to look at is versus Utah. Keep in mind, this isn't like watching Tuitt or Nix play against Michigan, Stanford, USC, or Alabama. This is Utah. For reference the guy had 6 tackles in this game no sacks. On the season he had 7.5 sacks. This game took place on September 14, 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlc7xZetlzY

First, I'm sorry about the video. For some reason I couldn't find it on the list in youtube. I provided the link to the actual video though. In this game I think you can see that he has solid strength, an okay burst, and can hold at the point of attack. He is one of the first few to react to the ball being snapped, but he doesn't possess that elite level recognition that was seen in Clowney. He doesn't seem to have elite level speed either and plays a bit high. It doesn't seem like he would be able to take those elite level angles when trying to beat a blocker to the edge.

However, he does seem to possess good moves. It looks like he has a swim move, a bull rush, and a power move. He also seems solid in run support and he seems to be fluid; as opposed to stiff. He is also capable of beating interior blockers, or at least Utah's interior blockers.

Moving on to the next game it is Oregon State vs. Boise State. This game was played on December 24, 2013.

In this game you will see a solid looking prospect. He seems to be good in run support which is because he has solid play recognition. He is unlikely to overpursue on a consistent basis. Teams won't be able to run misdirections towards his side of the ball and consistently get away with it. Unlike Tuitt, he also throws a variety of moves at the offensive lineman, whereas Tuitt just wants to beat the offensive tackle around his outside shoulder. His strength at the point of attack is evident. He is able to consistently get pressure.

Unlike the other game, he seemed a bit stiffer in his movements here. Also, he wasn't taking on many double teams, although they did occur. This isn't his fault, I'm not really sure why Boise State wasn't double teaming him as he was killing their offensive line. He was consistently in the backfield and consistently disrupted the passing game by getting pressure. He would add more to his ability as a prospect if he could learn to consistently get his hands up.

However, he seems to be a great tackler. You can really see his strength on display in that portion of his game, as he can easily reach out and stop a running back in his tracks with one hand if he is getting blocked. He is also great at attacking the ball and causing turnovers. So far, I'd say he is a very intriguing prospect.

The final game is Scott Crichton vs. Stanford from 2012. I'm sorry but Youtube doesn't have many games of him. I'll have to do this for other prospects too that aren't the big name guys in the major conferences. Anyway, here is the link:

http://youtu.be/yKvbSHTrljA

What I noticed again was his ability to seemingly pressure the QB on nearly every play. He does this using a variety of moves and a variety of angles. He also was taking on double teams for the majority of the game and was consistently able to beat them. As stated before, he beats them with a variety of moves one of which is his ability to just overpower the offesnive lineman. He is excellent in run support, as he seems to always maintain his gap forcing runners to the outside or to cut back. Once a runner is in the open field, he seems to take good angles. He seems to be a really smart player. Although, he really does need to work on getting his hands up, and his burst is not elite.

Overall, I think this kid is a really good prospect. He lacks elite level burst and speed to be that great pass rusher. But this kid can do everything else. He seems to have great strength and awareness. He seems to be able to read defenses effectively. He will be able to beat offensive lines in a multitude of ways, and he is great at forcing turnovers. What worries me is his size. He is 265. I think unless he adds 5-10 pounds, he will not be able to utilize his abilities in the run game. I think NFL offensive linemen will swallow him up. That's not to say he doesn't have the ability to beat them. I think he does. I think he just needs to add 5-10 pounds in the NFL in order to do that. All in all, I wouldn't say this kid is a day 1 starter. I think he is more of a year 2 starter, and year 3 will be where he really blossoms. If I had to pick a former Chicago Bear that I think he can mimic the play of it would be Alex Brown. I think he can get 6-8 sacks a year and also be effective against the run. In other words, I think he will eventually be a very good defensive end. He will not be an elite playmaker, but he will be good. I wouldn't hesitate to pick him if he's there in the second or third round.