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.

Mt. Rushmore of...

With all the recent talk of different versions of Mt Rushmore's of basketball. I thought President's Day was the perfect opportunity to provide my Mt Rushmore of various topics. And here we go...

Mt Rushmore of Basketball
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Larry Bird
4. Wilt Chamberlain

Mt Rushmore of Football (Offense)
1. Joe Montana
2. Barry Sanders
3. Jerry Rice
4. Walter Payton

Mt Rushmore of Football (Defense)
1. Ray Lewis
2. Reggie White
3. Mike Singletary
4. Dion Sanders

Mt Rushmore of Baseball (Pitching)
1. Mariano Rivera
2. Pedro Martinez
3. Nolan Ryan
4. Sandy Koufax

Mt Rushmore of Baseball (Everything Else)
1. Ty Cobb
2. Ted Williams
3. Jimmie Foxx
4. Babe Ruth

Mt Rushmore of WWE
1. Shawn Michaels
2. Kane
3. Bret Hart
4. HHH

Mt Rushmore of Hockey
1. Wayne Gretzky
2. Mario Lemieux
3. Patrick Roy
4. Gordie Howe

Mt Rushmore of Mascots
1. Bucky
2. Bango
3. Go Gorilla
4. Big Al

Mt Rushmore of College Football Traditions
1. Howard's Rock (Clemson)
2. Chief Osceola's Spear (Florida State)
3. Script Ohio (Ohio State)
4. Ralphies Run (Colorado)

Mt Rushmore of College Basketball Coaches
1. Jim Boeheim
2. Coach K
3. Dean Smith
4. John Wooden

Mt Rushmore of Players I Love to Hate
1. Lebron James
2. Tom Brady
3. Chris Pronger
4. Albert Pujols

Mt Rushmore of American Heroes
1. TJ Oshie
2. George Washington
3. Hulk Hogan
4. Joey Chestnut

It should be noted none of these are in any particular order. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments.

Happy Presidents Day!

Scouting Report 2 - Louis Nix III (#1 DT) and Stephen Tuitt (#5 DT)

By request, I will do both Stephen Tuitt and Louis Nix together in one scouting report. Since this is two players, I will post more than 3 videos. It's nice since they play for the same team: Notre Dame. A little about them:

Name: Louis Nix III
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 357 Pounds
Most likely position: 3-4 NT

Name: Stephen Tuitt
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 322
Most likely position: 3-4 DE, 4-3 DT

The first game I'm going to look at is Notre Dame vs. USC from October 19, 2013.

Let's start with Stephon Tuitt's performance in this first game. Initially, you should see just how slow he is getting off the line as a defensive end. Also, he seems to rely solely on getting to the edge and beating his blocker around the edge. He also doesn't seem to generate consistent pressure either. Every once in a while he beats his man, but not consistently enough to warrant taking him as a top pick for a defensive end. It also looks like he only makes plays once they flow to him. However, he is capable of keeping plays in front of him and seems to hold his position well. This is likely due to his size and strength. It did seem like he had a better initial burst when he played on the interior, as opposed to coming around the edge against a tackle. Overall, if I based it solely off of this game, I wouldn't use a first round pick on him.

Louis Nix III seems overpower single blockers but get stonewalled when double teamed. He does seem to have solid quickness for his size, but he doesn't seem to be able to penetrate the middle of that defense. His strength is his ability to take up two blockers in the running game. He also doesn't seem to react to the snap quickly or have elite burst. Although, he does have elite size to go along with solid quickness, which would make him an effective 3-4 NT. Surprisingly, after this first game, I wouldn't take him in the first round either. 

The next game I'm going to look at is ND vs. Michigan from September 7, 2013. 

In this game Stephon Tuitt was manhandled. And he wasn't manhandled by Tyler Lewan as you would expect (well he was but that's another story), he was manhandled by Michael Schofield Michigan's right tackle. Nearly the entire game they put Stephon Tuitt on Schofield and Tuitt got almost no pressure. He again relied almost exclusively on beating the tackle to the edge and when that failed he couldn't recover. More importantly, he is nearly always one of the last players to react to the ball being snapped. However, he does display good instincts in sniffing out plays. Other than that, there are not many positives out of him. He seems to rely on his quickness to the edge, which isn't elite by any means, in order to beat the tackles. I think that he might do that because he lacks the strength and quickness to beat players on the inside, despite his large frame. All in all, after combining these two games together, I wouldn't be too excited to draft the guy.

Louis Nix excelled in shutting down the run in this game, however, He was in the backfield nearly every play and was able to consistently push the guards and centers back two or three yards. He did this despite facing double teams nearly every play. While he definitely is not going to penetrate the middle like Tommie Harris, he can eat up blocks well. He will be able to come in and contribute on any team that needs help in the run game. He has to develop more as a pass rusher though. I know he's huge and that won't really be asked of him, but it doesn't seem like Notre Dame has asked him to do that in any capacity. Right now, he seems to be about where you'd expect him to be drafted, mid-to-late- first round. 

The next game is Notre Dame vs. Stanford. This game took place on November 30, 2013. 

Overall, I don't think it can be denied that Stephon Tuitt has a knack for shutting down the run from his 3-4 DE spot. He's good at shifting through multiple blockers and getting to the point of attack or maintaining his gap integrity. However, he gets almost no pressure. He is stone walled consistently. This guy is a not a 4-3 DE. I wouldn't even put him at a 3-4 DE in the NFL. While his size allows him to keep his position, I'm not sure that will translate to the NFL. In the NFL I think he's going to have to play defensive tackle if he wants to keep a job. 

Louis Nix III was out for this game.

The final game I'm going to look at, because there aren't that many games available on youtube, is the Alabama Notre Dame National Title game from January last year.

It should be initially noted that Stephon Tuitt didn't play as much as he did in 2013-14's season because he was a sophomore. However, he still got quite a bit of playing time. It was much of the same. He got almost no pressure on a consistent basis, and he was good in the run game. He also doesn't give up on plays when they get beyond him, and he is solid in support in that he comes to assist his teammates. 

Louis Nix III on the other hand, looked about ten times faster. He show cased an incredible ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage on nearly every play. He consistently forced the QB out of the pocket or to throw the ball earlier. He cut through Alabama's line like it was butter on nearly every play. He also showcased the ability to quickly identify plays and get off the line incredibly fast when the ball was snapped. His speed for a 350+ pound man was great. He showcased both a swim move and power move. He also never gave up on plays and was great in support. 

My overall impressions of Stephon Tuitt are not good. He should not play DE in any system. He may get 1 or 2 sacks a year. If I'm a GM and drafting him on my 3-4 team, I'm telling him to put on 30-40 more pounds and play NT. If I'm on a 4-3 defense, specifically the Bears, I'm telling him he is going to be put in Stephen Paea's roll, as a backup. Honestly, I do not think this kid will make it in the NFL in any other way other than a backup defensive tackle. He lacks the reaction time, quickness, and speed to play defensive end. He doesn't have the ability to take on and shed blocks that would allow him to play the UT or 3-4 DE. So, I would say he would have to be the anchor of any defensive line. The fat guy that eats up blocks. At this point, I'm just not sure he has the ability to do that. Honestly, and I know this is harsh, but I'm putting a 5th-7th round grade on him. But I really don't know what I'm talking about so, I'll qualify it with that statement.

Looking to Louis Nix III it really depends on what you get. Louis Nix III in the Alabama game is a top 5 pick easily. He shows great pass rushing skills and can torment any offense that wants to live on rushing the ball up the gut. However, if he's the big slower guy from this past year, I'd say he can help you shut down the run, but won't provide much support in the passing game. It really comes down to when did that knee injury start affecting him? And can he overcome it and return to his old self? If he can, anyone who gets him outside the top 5 is getting a steal, regardless of the type of defense they play. If he cannot, I'd still take him if I was sitting around 25-35. Of course, 3-4 NT's are always in demand so he'd likely go before that. Let me know what you think.

Jadeveon Clowney - #1 DE - Part 2

The next game I watched was Jadeveon Clowney vs. Missouri. This took place the week after the Tennessee game on October 26, 2013. Here is the game:

Much of the same from Jadeveon Clowney in this game. At the start of the game he was clearly one of the first people off the block at the snap. Additionally, he does a great job of using his hands to shed blocks. He's also got several moves including the ability to bull rush, over power the lineman, a swim move, and a spin move. This allows him to be a disruptive playmaker who can consistently take on and beat double teams.

However, when he is clearly beat, he doesn't do a good job of consistently getting his hands up on passing plays. And when he was double teamed consistently, he seemed to get frustrated and slowed down a bit. Maybe it was fatigue, but he just didn't seem to be as motivated. Finally, by the end of the game, Missouri was killing them by running at Jadeveon Clowney's side. I think it was because he likes to over pursue too much. 

The final game was the first game this season. SC v. UNC:

Again, it's much of the same, but I think you'll notice that he consistently favors beating the OT to the outside. He's strong enough and quick enough to beat the OT on the inside, but for whatever reason, he likes to rely on the edges. You'll also notice his aggression puts him offsides in each of the games I've listed. I think he really needs to become more aware and not consistently rely on his athletic ability to beat teams upfield. NFL teams are going to take advantage of this. However, he is still an elite pass rusher who can line up at any position on the field. 

My overall impressions of Clowney are that he is an elite level pass rusher. This guy deserves to be a top 10 pick. However, he needs to work on his aggressiveness. He seems to be enamored with sacks and pressures, which allows teams to beat him on plays to his edge and screens. He really needs to work on getting his hands up on passing plays where he is clearly beat as well. He is athletic enough to be a top tier NFL Defensive End for years to come and I would say he definitely will be. I was honestly hoping I wouldn't like what I saw, but he is a beast. He reminds me of a young Julius Peppers. I think the sky is the limit for him as he has all the abilities you'd want: size, strength, speed, acceleration, agility, burst. I think the only thing missing is a commitment to mastering his craft. My guess is he will be a 12-14 sack guy if he decides to commit to setting his edge and playing the run. He may get more sacks if he doesn't but he won't be as effective of a player. There you have it, my first player scouted. 

Jadeveon Clowney - #1 Ranked DE Part 1

Okay, so the first player I am going to do is considered the highest rated prospect this year: Jadeveon Clowney. He is the number 1 rated DE according to the list. For those of you who do not know, he played for South Carolina. He is number 7. He is listed at 6'6" 274 pounds. The first game I am going to look at is South Carolina vs. Tennessee. This game was midseason taking place on October 19, 2013. I've provided the youtube film from it for your reference if you'd like to critique my assessment of his performance in this game.








The very first thing I noticed was his ability to get up field. On almost every play he seems to be able to push his way upfield. On running plays he also seems to be able to hold his block and keep his position. I think this comes from great lower body strength. You can also see his athleticism on display. He seems to be incredibly agile and capable of missing people just flat out miss him. 


However, I think he relies on his athleticism too much at times. If you notice, he seems to be so eager to get up the field, that he completely fails to set the edge leaving a hole where he used to be. 


The most important thing I noticed in this game is that he seems to be ahead of everyone on the field. Watch the ball get snapped. Almost every time he is the first one to react on offense or defense, whether it be extremely noticeable or barely noticeable. This explosion and quickness will likely lead to a lot of sacks in the NFL. 


Another positive thing is his ability in open space as a defensive end. When he has to go to open space in this game and act as a linebacker, he is always moving towards the ball, and is either the first one there or right there as the tackle is being made. 


However, there were some other issues I noticed in this game. For one, he tackles a little too high. This could lead to some issues in the NFL. Combined with his tendency to overplay and push it up field sometimes, I think you will see offenses find running room to his side, at least at first. Also, it seemed like once a play got beyond him, he would stop. He needs to remember to always be going in the NFL. 

NFL Draft Scouting

Alright, in anticipation of the NFL Draft on Thursday May 8, 2014, I've decided to provide my own insight into the various prospects. Seeing as how we are approximately 85 days away from the NFL Draft, I decided that I am going to aim to do the scouting on the top 10 listed players (as of today 2/14/2014) at positions of need for the Bears. Namely, I will be providing a scouting report for the top 10 players at each of the following positions:

DE
DT
OLB
ILB
CB
S

In other words, there will be 60 scouting reports. Now, I'm not a professional scout, and I will I have no idea what an individual player's assignment is on any given down. I will just provide insight into what I see, and you can feel free to comment. Just so we are clear, I will be providing scouting reports on the following players:

Defensive Ends:

1. Jadeveon Clowney February 14, 2014
2. Kony Ealy March 7, 2014
3. Dee Ford
4. Scott Crichton February 18, 2014
5. Trent Murphy
6. Jackson Jeffcoat
7. Marcus Smith
8. Chris Smith
9. Kareem Martin
10. DeMarcus Lawrence

Defensive Tackles:

1. Louis Nix February 17, 2014
2. Aaron Donald February 21, 2014
3. Timmy Jernigan February 19, 2014
4. RaShede Hageman February 21, 2014
5. Stephon Tuitt February 17, 2014
6. Dominique Easely February 23, 2014
7. Will Sutton February 24, 2014
8. Kelcy Quarles February 25, 2014
9. Anthony Johnson March 6, 2014
10. DaQuan Jones March 6, 2014

Inside Linebackers: 

1. C.J. Mosely
2. Yawin Smallwood
3. Chris Borland
4. Shayne Skov
5. Christian Jones
6. Lamin Barrow
7. Preston  Brown
8. Devekeyan Lattimore
9. Jeremiah George
10. Andrew Jackson

Outside Linebackers:

1. Kahlil Mack
2. Anthony Barr
3. Ryan Shazier
4. Kyle Van Noy
5. Trevor Reilly
6. Telvin Smith
7. Carl Bradford
8. Jeremiah Attaochu
9. Christian Kirksey
10. Michael Sam March 7, 2014

Cornerbacks:

1. Darqueze Dennard
2. Justin Gilbert
3. Jason Verrett
4. Marcus Roberson
5. Bradley Roby
6. Lamarcus Joyner
7. Kyle Fuller
8. Louchiez Purifoy
9. Victor Hampton
10. Bashaud Breeland

Safeties:

1. HaSean Clinton-Dix
2. Calvin Pryor
3. Jimmie Ward
4. Ed Reynolds
5. Deone Bucannon
6. Terrence Brooks
7. Craig Loston
8. Dion Bailey
9. Ahmad Dixon
10. Vinnie Sunseri

The safeties are the top 5 free safeties and the top 5 strong safeties. Reminder, I really don't know what I'm talking about, so please withhold on any name calling. Also, I will try to keep up on this, but it's quite an undertaking so please bear with me. I also reserve the right to jump from any position at any time. After I finish a particular category, I will rearrange the players to how I see fit. Once I finish it all, I will create a big board of all these players. Here's to hoping this lands me a job with the Bears ;)

We Are Becoming Fire Rick Reilly.com

Here's a great post by Deadspin.