Scouting Report 11 - Anthony Johnson - DT #9

So, that was quite the break. My bad. I'll try and do two a days or something. Moving on, the next person is Anthony Johnson. Here are his vitals:

Name: Anthony Johnson
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 294 lbs.
College: LSU
Stats: 35 tackles, 3 sacks
Projected Round: 2-3

The first game I want to start with is LSU vs. Mississippi State. In this game, Anthony Johnson had 5 tackles and 1 sack. Sorry, this is a little annoying, but there is a famous MMA fighter named Anthony Johnson and the Blog thing doesn't filter as well as youtube. So, I'm probably going to have to just rely on links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbVY8VbKLjE

I think he shows solid speed, good quickness, and an okay burst. I don't think he can shows enough burst to be an elite level pass rusher. He seems to be a really heads up player. For instance, the QB in this game is very mobile. Sometimes the DE collapses in too far, leaving a huge running lane on the edge. Anthony Johnson recognizes this, after engaging with blockers, and proceeds to roll out to the edge to cut off that lane. He also seems to hold his position in the running game.

I don't think he does a great job rushing the passer. His speed and quickness should allow him to be a good pass rusher, but he just seems to be missing that first step, strength, or that secondary move. At this point, I'm not sure what it is. However, even if he beats his lineman out of the gate, the lineman can recover and still fight him off. That said, I do think it looks like there is a lot of potential to work with.

A very quick note, Ego Furgeson is also a very highly rated DT. In this game, I think he looks like he could be a great 1 technique for the Bears. He has the size, at almost 310 pounds, and he looks to have a good burst, good quickness, and the ability to take on two blockers at once. I think he looks like a very good 1 technique at this point.

The next game I'm going to look at is LSU versus Auburn from 2012.

In this game, Johnson does a great job of consistently taking on double teams. He is able to maintain his area in the run game. He looks strong, quick, athletic, and fast for a defensive tackle. Again, he shows okay burst, and an ability to put some pressure on the QB. He also shows solid awareness, he seems to have an instinct for the location of the ball. 

However, I think he needs to work on alternate moves and his use of hands. Again, he can beat the offensive lineman off the line, but once engaged he seems to lose the ability to penetrate. He relies too much on his strength, and it gets him no where. I think that if he could develop some alternate moves he could become a good pass rusher from the DT position. 

The final game I'm going to look at is LSU versus Ole Miss from 2012. Again, there wasn't much film because of the MMA fighter, and I couldn't find much on Ego Furgeson either. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9701qKx1Q

To me, it seems like he plays a little too upright on passing downs. He seems to be very passive, making sure the play stays in front of him. That's why he seems to be so good against the run. I think if he played a little more aggressively, his sack numbers would have been good, and you would see a much better burst. However, he could still vastly improve that by getting his pad level lower, and adding more moves. Relying on just his strength isn't going to cut it in the NFL. He needs to develop his hands and some other move as well to really become great. 

The one time he used his hands effectively, he shed two blockers and got a sack. He seems to get very good penetration when the call is a run, but not when it is a pass. He shows good speed, strength, quickness, and burst. I also think he displays very good balance. At one point he continued running towards the ball carrier as he is at an odd angle getting shoved to the ground. If he can improve his moves and pad level I think he could be a very effective pro. 

Overall, there is a lot to like with Anthony Johnson, and a lot not to like. Nearly everything that I don't like about him can be fixed. However, he has to want to fix it, and he has to get the right coaches to help him fix it. He displays the intangibles: speed, quickness, burst, balance, strength. However, he needs to do more to become an impact player. He is a guy who has a high ceiling and a low floor. If he doesn't put the effort forward to improve, he'll never improve. If he puts the effort forward but doesn't have the right coaching, he could be a good player. If he gets both the coaching and puts forth the effort, he can be a very good NFL player. I would not be upset if the Bears took him in Rounds 2, 3, or 4. I'd really project him as a third rounder based on the effort he needs to put forth.  

Scouting Report 10 - Kelcy Quarles - #8 DT

The eight defensive tackle I'm going to look at is Kelcy Quarles. I'm now starting to hope that I can find some diamonds in the rough. Anyways, onto Quarles. Here are his vitals:

Name: Kelcy Quarles
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 298
College: South Carolina
Stats: 39 tackles, 9.5 sacks
Projected Round: 3-4

The first game I'm going to look at is South Carolina vs. Tennessee. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to use Clowney tape to look at Quarles. Also, because Quarles is an underclassmen there isn't much film directly on him, and he isn't used every down. Having said that,  this game took place on October 19, 2013. He had 4 tackles and 1 sack. He is number 99.

Well, it looks like Quarles is one of the first people to break out of his stance at the snap of the ball. However, once he breaks his stance, he appears to stand almost straight up and down. This immediately neutralizes his quick reaction and gives the offensive lineman leverage. Despite giving the offensive lineman leverage, he appears to display good strength as he still seems to maintain his area on passing downs and even get occasional pressure on the QB.

However, on running downs, he seems to get pushed backwards and lose ground. While he reacts quickly to the snap, he doesn't have a good burst or quickness once the play gets moving. He looks susceptible to the run. In my opinion, he looks very raw. He needs to improve quite a bit, such as coming out of his stance lower, and becoming more effective with his hands. He also doesn't seem like he will blow anyone away with his speed. Although, he doesn't appear to be slow for a defensive tackle, I'm just not sure he's fast enough to be a viable option at 3-tech. Although, he may be a good project for our NT.

The next game I'm going to look at is South Carolina against Missouri. This game took place on October 26, 2013. Quarles recorded 6 tackles and 2 sacks.

As I stated before, he appears to be quick out of his stance, but then loses at the point of attack because he engages too high. This allows offensive lineman to push him out of the way on running plays. It also takes away some of the pressure he could cause as he gets caught up relatively quickly because he has no leverage. Despite that, he does do a good job using his strength to maintain his area on passing downs. This is what accounts for his sacks. He maintains his area, pushes into the backfield a little bit and Clowney or other pass rushers force the QB to step up or run and they run right into Quarles. 

I think it's also important to note that he is not used in the redzone. I don't think he is an effective NT, at least at this point, as he doesn't seem to do well against the run. He also doesn't have great lateral speed, but has solid straight line speed for a big defensive tackle. There are times when he does display the ability to collapse the middle of the defense, but it's not often. Overall, I think if he could break out of his stance lower he would do better. Having said that, I worry about his balance, as he ends up on the ground a little too much. 

The final game I'm going to look at is South Carolina versus UNC. In this game, Quarles isn't really used that much. He actually doesn't come in until the second half. However, he still managed to get 3 tackles and a sack. This game took place on August 29, 2013. 

The playing time is extremely limited for Quarles in this game. However, he displays the good initial reaction time, and the high pad level again. He also ends up on the ground a few times, despite barely playing. The entire gamecock defense is a bit too aggressive, and they end up suffering on the ground. He really needs to do a better job getting lower. Throughout all the games, he didn't really display any moves other than a quick rush. I think he needs to improve his hand usage. 

Overall, I think Quarles could be a good prospect. I see him as a 4-3 NT at the end of the day. I just don't think he is quick enough, even if he improves his pad level, to get consistent pressure on the QB. Quarles is 6'4" so he should have room to add weight. I think if he could add 12-17 pounds he would be a very effective 4-3 NT. That combined with his quick twitch at the line could allow him to occasionally pressure the QB. It would also allow him to win battles in the running game. However, he has a lot to improve before he can get there. He needs to improve his pad level, he needs to improve his hands, he needs to add some moves, and he needs to add some weight to his frame. But I do think the potential is there. I wouldn't be upset if we drafted him in the 5th round or later.  

Scouting Report 9 - Will Sutton - DT #7

Today was not a great day for Will Sutton at the scouting combine, so I don't know if he'd still be considered a top 10 player. However, before I started out on this venture I said these were my top 10 players that I was going to scout, period. So he's staying. Here are his vitals:

Name: Will Sutton
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 288
College: Arizona State
Stats: 48 tackles 4 sacks
Projected Round: 3-4

The first game I'm going to look at is Arizona State versus Texas Tech. This took place on December 30, 2013. Will Sutton had 4 tackles 0 sacks in this game.

The first thing I noticed was that he looks small and compact. Somewhat undersized and that he doesn't appear to have much of any sort of room to add size. I also noticed just how slow he looks. He has almost no burst, is one of the last to react to the ball being snapped, and is consistently beaten by a single blocker. He gets little to no pressure, and is hardly ever double teamed. When he is double teamed forget about it. He also sees to lack awareness.

This lack of awareness allows the opposing offenses to run misdirection and draw plays right at where he was. I think it's also his aggressive tendencies that allow offenses to do that. However, he doesn't win his one on one matchups so that aggressiveness is wasted. Once the play gets beyond him he gives up. In my opinion, this is because he doesn't have a high motor. He also seems utterly incapable of playing the 3-tech because he cannot get pressure at all, let alone on a consistent basis in college football. Maybe it was just this game, but color me unimpressed.

The next game I'm going to look at is Arizona State against Stanford. This game took place on September 21st. Will Sutton had 6 tackles 0 sacks in this game.

The first thing that sort of stuck out to me between the first two games is that he seems to be a bit streaky. He will put together two or three good plays in a row. Then he disappears. He gets beat in his one on one match ups. He gives up on plays after they get past him and even after a few seconds when they aren't past him. I also don't see teams being afraid to run right at him. And he seems to get pancaked way too often.

In that regard, he spends way too much time playing from the dirt. I don't think he has good balance. What makes him look better than his actual abilities is the fact that Arizona State blitzes far more often from the side he's lined up on then from the other side of the field. But even then you can still see his lack of speed, quickness, and agility. He just seems to try to overpower the guard or the center without relying on any moves. However, he doesn't have that kind of strength. Once the ball is snapped, it's like he hits a stone wall. He just doesn't appear to be good.

The final game I'm going to look at is ASU vs. Washington State. This game took place on October 31, 2013. Will Sutton had 2 tackles in this game.

In this game he actually displays a little more burst and quickness. However, he still looks slow and displays a lack of agility. While he generates a little more pressure in this game, he still doesn't do much. He doesn't win his one on one matchups, he gets pushed around, and doesn't get consistent pressure. Teams still aren't scared to run it at him.

When he breaks his stance he is basically engaging the lineman as if he's standing straight up. This allows the lineman to get under him and win the battle for leverage right at the snap. He also stops during some plays, primarily because I think he isn't in the best shape. He displays absolutely no moves to escape a blocker and doesn't use his hands well. He relies solely on shoving the lineman or beating them to the inside. However, he is not quick enough to do that. He doesn't get good leverage and he lacks balance.

Overall, I'd say he is an undersized defensive tackle, who could only hope to play the three technique. However, he doesn't display the quickness, burst, agility, strength, or moves to play the three technique. Instead, he consistently gets manhandled by college level interior lineman. He seems to play very slow. If I were the Bears, I wouldn't draft him at all. He doesn't have the athleticism or size to warrant being drafted. He is also far too raw. He doesn't display awareness or anything else that would really allow him to contribute to a team on a daily basis. Rather, he would be a liability and the stronger guards and centers in the NFL would pancake him all the time. I wouldn't be upset if the Bears took a flier out on him in the 7th round. However, I would rather they save that flier on someone with more upside in other areas, i.e. more athleticism or better size. I don't think he will ever be able to develop into an NFL level talent because he has almost no upside, as I have previously stated. As a result, I would not touch this player.

Scouting Report 8 - Dominique Easley - DT #6

So, I am fully committed to getting through the top ten defensive tackles. In order to do that, the next up is Dominique Easley. Here are his vitals:

Name: Dominique Easley
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 288
College: Florida
Stats: 5 tackles, no sacks, played in 3 games and suffered an ACL injury.
Projected Round: 2-3

The first game I'm going to look at is Florida against Tennessee. This game took place September 21, 2013 and this is the game he gets injured.

The first thing that jumps out is that he is quick, has great burst, and generates pressure. He is very strong and can overpower his opponent. He is also capable of lining up at DT or DE and generating pressure. He is able to take on double teams and win. He seems to play with a high motor and displays good speed. 

However, he's not incredibly fast or quick. He has good quickness and speed, but it's not elite. Also, much like Donald, his pressure comes from his aggressive nature. It can leave him susceptible in the run game. It's not a huge concern, as he's capable of getting into the backfield and shutting a play down early, but it's something to take note of. 

The next game I'm going to look at is Florida against Louisville in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. 

You'll notice that he has a good burst. Good, not great. He is a good pass rusher, but not elite. He lines up at both DE and DT but is clearly much better suited for DT. He has a swim move, he can bull rush, he has a spin move. However, he is capable of getting stone walled by a single blocker because he does not possess elite level pass rush ability.

He also doesn't seem to display great instincts or be a heady player. He consistently has rushers run right next to him and doesn't make the play. I attribute this to his aggressive nature. He seems to be thinking only one thing: rush the passer. However, he does display the ability to win in the run game. He displays a better ability in this regard then Donald. He maintains his possession well, gets good leverage, and consistently pushes into the back field. As I've said, he can attack and pressure the QB but is subpar in the run game. I would say his intelligence has to improve if he hopes to be a pro-bowl level player in the NFL.

The final game I'm going to look at is Florida against Missouri from 2012. I apologize for using last years games but the reality is that he tore his ACL pretty early and there wasn't anything on Youtube from this year other then the first game. 

Again, he's a good pass rusher. Not elite, but very good. He may be elite for a defensive tackle in college, but in the NFL I would likely say his pass rush ability would be similar to a Henry Melton. He uses his hands well, but he doesn't display good balance. You will see him beat his players only to fall down quite a bit. He is also so focused on rushing the passer, that he will give up his zone in the passing game allowing scrambling QB's to slip by, or allowing draw plays to go right by him. He really needs to improve his awareness, it's just not there. Although, he doesn't ever seem to give up on plays, even when they get behind him. As I stated before, he displays an excellent motor. 

Overall, I think he can provide good pressure from the DT position in the NFL. If he puts time into studying the game, I think he will be a very good defensive tackle. He will be able to pressure the QB and hold up in the running game. However, this will require a lot of work. Additionally, he needs to work on his balance if he wants to be a successful NFL player. I think he is a first round prospect. He has the ability to be a play maker. However, he is not as explosive as Aaron Donald, but I think he can be a probowl level player if he puts the time in to master his craft and become a more headsy player. 

Scouting Report 7 - RaShede Hageman - DT #4

As promised, here is my second scouting report of today. It is for RaShede Hageman. I'm still super excited at Aaron Donald by the way, I wasn't expecting him to be that good. Anyway, back to Hageman, here's his information:

Name: RaShede Hageman
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 310 lbs
College: Minnesota
Stats: 38 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 int, 8 Passes defended

Alright, well unfortunately I couldn't find anything from this year, so i'm starting with MN vs. UM from last year. I'll keep looking so maybe by the end I'll come up with one.

On the first plays he seems to be extremely quick and strong. However, it seems to fade as the game goes on. Initially, he seems unblockable when he has a single blocker in front of him. He also displays the ability to maintain his gap in the running game, and uses his hands well to shed blockers.

However, as the game progresses he seems to be unable to generate consistent pressure. He never beats a double team and he displays an average burst. Perhaps he is relying too much on his strength to beat defenders, I'm not really sure. But by the end of the game, he is somewhat useless against both the run and the pass. I don't know if this is a conditioning problem, or if he just started out strong or the guard started off slow. Either way, by the end of the game, he was not impressive.

The next game is the Gophers versus Wisconsin, also from 2012.

While his height might be an advantage for him in some instances, I think overall it is detrimental. While his body angle seems to be good, and would create huge mismatches if he was an average height, his pad level seems to be a bit too high allowing the offensive lineman to get underneath him. He also seems to rely too much on his strength, as he attempts to bull over offensive lineman. He needs to develop more moves and use his hands better. While he is very quick, his quickness doesn't generate into a consistent pass rush, I think because he doesn't have great burst.

He is very good in the run game though. Although he struggles to get any sort of pressure if he's double teamed, he can maintain his gap and shut down runs in the same scenario. He is able to use his athleticism to his advantage and is a solid tackler. While he doesn't have great burst, I would say it is average to slightly above average.

The final game I'm going to look at is Minnesota against Texas Tech (although I cannot link this video to this page) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. This took place on December 28, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHjCRb49ER0

Again, he doesn't seem to be able to generate consistent pressure. He cannot beat single teams to get pressure. However, his athleticism, quickness, and strength allow him to over power or get through to occasionally pressure the QB. He is very disciplined as he consistently maintains his gap in the running game and passing game. His issues seem to be similar to Jernigan's in that he will not overwhelm you as a pass rusher, but he is very good against the run. However, he did seem to be able to generate pressure coming from the outside when he lined up as a defensive end. I don't know what Minnesota asked Jernigan to do. They may have told him to maintain his gap integrity and let the edge rushers attack the QB. However, when he lined up as DE he blew away the tackle. That being said, I think his size is what is ultimately killing him as a DT.

Overall, as I said before, he seems to suffer from the same problem as Jernigan. Only Jernigan was elite against the run, I'd say Hageman is very good. Having said that, Hageman's quickness, strength, and athleticism allow him to generate more pressure and be more effective in the passing game. I wonder if someone his size wouldn't be better suited as a defensive end, or a 3-4 defensive end. There is definitely some potential with this kid, but I don't think he is the playmaker you are looking for at number 14. Having said all of this, please keep in mind that there were no videos from this year that I could find - and I scoured.

Scouting Report 6 - Defensive Tackles # 2 - Aaron Donald

Alright, so I missed doing a scouting report yesterday so I will make it up today with a double post. Today I'm doing Aaron Donald and RaShede Hageman. I'll start with Aaron Donald in this post.

Name: Aaron Donald
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 285
College: Pittsburgh
Position: Defensive Tackle
Stats: 59 tackles, 11 sacks, he registered his 11 sacks in 8 games out of 13.

The first game I'm going to look at is Aaron Donald versus Florida State. This game took place on September 2, 2013:

The first thing that jumps out at you is just how quick Donald is. He's not that quick at the snap of the ball, but overall he is just quick. He seems to get a lot of this quickness by getting exceptional leverage and being able to angle his to win matchups. He also seems to derive a lot of power from his lower body, which enables him to win matchups. He consistently pressures the QB on almost every passing down regardless of whether he is being double teamed or single teamed. He also seems to take solid angles on plays.

However, in the running game he seems to have some vulnerabilities. He is overly aggressive so he consistently misdiagnoses misdirection plays. He can also get pushed back a little bit in the running game. He needs to improve his hand ability to clear the blockers. He also needs to learn to read what offenses are doing. In that game at least, he only seemed to have average burst off the line of scrimmage but that may be because he is on the ball, and it's harder to judge. I think maybe he has great burst actually, because he seems to be in his stance right away. However, he definitely seems like a good player.

The next game I'm going to look at is Pitt versus Georgia Tech from November 2, 2013. In this game Aaron Donald has 11 tackles and 1 sack.

Aaron Donald displays a variety of moves. He uses his quickness to slash through the offensive line, he engages blockers and can swim through them, he can use his power to bull over blockers, and he has a spin move he can use to free himself of blockers. This kid is insane. I don't quite understand it. Maybe it's because he's right on the ball so it's harder to tell, but it's like this guy has hit his full stance while the offensive lineman is still getting up. On passing downs, this kid is getting pressure, period. 

On any down, he is almost always the first guy to engage the blocker. As I stated before, he gets out of his stance and into full on attack mode way faster than anyone else. He can maintain his position, however, his aggressiveness kills him in the running game, which is fine, as long as it's a passing down. He doesn't really read screens well, or any misdirection plays. However, I blame that more on the defensive end then him, as those halfback slip screen plays need to be picked up  on the edge, where the defensive end is. Overall, if he can play the run, he's the best player as of writing this. 

The final game is Pitt versus Miami. He had 3 tackles and no sacks in this game, which took place on November 29, 2013.

Again, this guy is beyond elite at pressuring the QB. Nearly every play, regardless of whether he is single, double, or tripled team, this kid gets into the backfield. On almost every play in this game he was double or triple team. Regardless, he still impacted the passing game and running the game. He did it from both the DE and DT position. While, I'm not saying he should play DE, I do think he could be utilized as a DE on some plays to disrupt or confuse offenses. As usual, as soon as the ball is snapped he is in the backfield. He is a play maker. 

He does need to become better at holding up against the run. I think that will be his achilles heel in the NFL. I think he is still going to be average at it at worst. He is just too quick not to be effective at it in the NFL.

Overall, Aaron Donald is the best DT I've seen so far. I would say he's even the best player I have seen. I think he might be a better pass rusher than Clowney. In the NFL he will push the QB out of the pocket and hopefully his DE's will be able to clean it up. I wouldn't be shocked if he averages between 8-12 sacks a year out of the DT position. He is just so quick and has such a great burst, to go along with an array of moves. I also wouldn't be surprised if he develops into an elite level player in the running game. Right now, if he is available when the Bears draft they should run up to the podium to land him. 

Scouting Report 5 - Timmy Jernigan - #3 DT - FSU

So, Mike Mayock made headlines in Chicago recently by saying the Bears should sprint to the podium if Timmy Jernigan is there. This made me want to look at some of his film as soon as possible. Here are his measureables.

Name: Timmy Jernigan
College: Florida State
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 292 lbs
Position: DT

The first game I want to look at is FSU against Pittsburgh. This game took place on September 2, 2013. His stat line from the game, according to ESPN.com is 4 tackles 1 sack.

So, the first thing I noticed was his strength. He seems to be much stronger then the opposing offensive lineman. However, he doesn't appear to be quicker. He doesn't seem to have a good burst at the snap of the ball or good reaction time to get out of his stance. When he does get out of his stance, it almost looks like he is coming up too high, and playing tall. He really didn't get good penetration on passing plays. 

However, the running game was a different story. He rarely was pushed around. He looked like he controlled his gap, regardless if he was double teamed. He seemed to be able to use his hands well to shed blocks, and was rarely pushed out of his original position. It looked like this was largely due to his strength. 

The next game I'm going to look at is Timmy Jernigan against Auburn. This was the national title game. Again, I'm having issues with uploading the movie, I don't really know how to fix this issue. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyskhb7bbm4

So, he appears to be an elite run defender. He can take on multiple blocks, shed them, and get to the running back. He can help take away the inside runs, as he maintains gap integrity on nearly every play. He may be better against the run than Louis Nix.

However, it again appears that he lacks the quickness of the ball, or just generally, to effectively rush the passer. He almost never gets pressure on the QB. It looks like this is a result of several things: 1) he's not fast; 2) he lacks quickness; 3) he relies too much on his strength to beat defenders; 4) he plays too high; and 5) he just doesn't appear to have the necessary athleticism. But having said all that, some of that is correctable and could allow him to translate into an every down NT type tackle in either a 3-4 or 4-3, although I think his size is better suited for a 4-3. 

The final game I'm going to look at is Timmy Jernigan against Maryland in 2012.

In this video you will once again see that he is great at using his hands to navigate through blockers. He is great at allowing the plays to flow to him. Once they get to him, he does a great job of finishing them off. To this end he is a good tackler. He doesn't seem to ever over pursue or be caught out of position. Sometimes that causes him to pass up on easy sacks. He doesn't really seem to be all that aggressive either. It looks like he likes to play things conservatively. While that leads to great fundamentals, it also means he won't be a playmaker in the NFL. 

I think this is doubly obvious because he really only relies on a power move and swim move. I think he could really benefit himself by developing another move, like an effective spin move. What's more, he lines up right over the ball on nearly every play and is nearly offsides based on where he lines up. However, he is almost always one of the last people on the field to react to the ball being snapped. While he is great in the run game, he will not be an effective tackle if he's asked to penetrate and pressure the QB, as he would be in a Tampa 2. 

My overall impressions of him are pretty solid. I wouldn't be at all shocked if he was taken in the first round. With that said, I think Mayock was a bit off his rocker by suggesting the Bears, at 14, should run to the podium to select when he is still there. This guy can be a great asset in shutting down the run. However, he needs to do more than just rely on his strength. He needs to start getting lower and I think he needs another move. If I'm the Bears and he drops into the early to mid-second round, I would take him. He kind of reminds me of a Tank Johnson. I think he is a late first round talent though, and can be an effective starter for a decade. Because he cannot rush the passer effectively, I think you'll see him switch teams quite a bit though.