TE Nick Kasa (Colorado), first brought to my attention by Gil Brandt.
He won't go high for several reasons: A knee injury which cost him a year-plus, a conversion from DE to TE in the middle of his junior season, and then only 25 catches as a senior. He's labelled injury prone with "multiple" injuries because his one injury required two surgeries. Incorrect.
Kasa is 6'6", 269. He ran a 4.71 40, jumped 31.5 inches, and benched 22 times (I mentioned he was 6'6" with 32 7/8" long arms right?)
This guy quickly became a good in-line blocker, but what's lost in the shuffle is his surprising vertical speed, as his 25 catches went for 391 yards (3 TDs). Most wide receivers can't match these YPC stats. This is one of Gil Brandt's sleepers.
OLB/LB/DE Cornelius Washington (Georgia). I first heard of him at the Senior Bowl, where he tore everybody up.
He could go late because of a failed drug test, DUI arrest, and so-so production.
Shortened seasons and reduced playing time due to "scheme and depth" on the Georgia roster contributed to the mediocre statistics, and those stats upon real analysis aren't that pedestrian after all. Per-snap, he got a lot of tackles-for-losses and sacks.
At 6'4", 265, get this: 4.55 40, 36 bench reps, and a 39" vertical leap!!! He doesn't change directions as well as some of the other guys, and wasn't required to cover recievers in his scheme, so that's a question mark, too.
I never cared much about DUI's, or even failed drug tests on 19-21 year olds. MOST normal guys fool around when theyre kids, including me and (admit it) probably you. HE just got CAUGHT. I mean, I have to fight a tendancy in myself to be judgemental, but there for the grace of God went I.
And what if, as a senior, he'd played on more than just passing downs? What if he wasn't sharing the field with Jarvis Jones? The Senior Bowl wasn't just the Ziggy Ansah and EJ Williams show. Cornelius Washington was right there with them.
Guard Kyle Long, who I just dug up myself: He should last awhile, probably not for his DUI, which happened in his freshman year. It's because of his lack of experience as an offensive lineman. He was drafted as a pitcher and first baseman by the White Sox, but instead took a baseball scholarship to Florida State...
Where he got bad grades and his DUI, which pretty much took care of that.
So he went to Saddleback Junior College and played defensive end. He moved to the offensive line as a sophomore there, and the next season moved up to Oregon, where he started 10 games at guard. He wasn't allowed another season, so he enters the draft with some technical flaws (lunging in space, occasionally playing too tall, not getting his hands inside enough).
And yes, he's another one of those Longs; Howie's son and Chris's brother. Both of them say that he's the best athlete in the family.
Believe it. At 6'6", 313, he ran a 4.93 40, a 7.83 3-cone drill, and a 4.63 short shuttle. In time, he can become every bit as good a left tackle as his brother Chris, let alone a superstud guard.
As a guard, he's taller than you like, but extends his hands and bends well, and it hasn't really been a problem. He explodes into blocks, can pull, and sometimes blocks guys with one hand while running; nailing multiple targets.
While probably not a starter until at least late in his rookie season, Long is close to a can't-miss. Had he been able to play one more year at Oregon like he wanted to, he's probably be a first-rounder in 2014. This is an astronomicly smarter pick than a guy with a huge butt who can't run DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Nor is it a given that he'll take all that long to refine his techniques, as he has his Dad and bro to work with him long before the coaches can.
CB Tyrann Mathiew "the honey badger" was voted the best defender in the nation before his failed drug test. He also violated a whole bunch of team rules, meaning he was a punk. He also managed only four reps on the bench press, and he's 5'9", and his 4.5 40 was not at all impressive either.
But a bunch of the guys on NFL Radio are high on him because he forced 4 fumbles and got two picks in 2011 before his suspension.
He's also an excellent returner, and his 40 time doesn't reflect his game speed. I can't tell if he'll ever be a good starter on the outside, but he'd be great on the slot reciever.
Denard Robinson, Michigan: His probem is that he was a quarterback. He's a superior athlete who could play multiple positions, but at 5'10", 199, he's not going to be a quarterback. He worked at wide reciever as he prepared for the Senior Bowl, Combine, and Draft, but he's as raw as raw can be, and can only be considered a long-term project at any position except returner.
But as I mentioned in an earlier blog, Pat Kirwin said he could step right in as a nickel corner, if his only job was to cover the slot guy (as a cornerback) and blitze. Given some time could become a damn good starter on the outside. As a quarterback, he knows what they're up to.
He's also been looked at as a third down running back. He is smaller, but faster than Josh Cribbs, but in addition to being an ex-quarterback, he also seems to have a similar attitude and personality. He's just a good, smart kid who loves playing football and will do whatever he has to, at any position.
As a cornerback, which would probably be his position on this team, he has adequate height and good size. He killed the agility drills, demonstrating explosion out of breaks, balance, and change-of-direction, all of which are the tools to stay with a slot reciever (or blitze).
Just a couple notes: We don't need a little shrimp kick returner ok? We don't need nose tackles or defensive ends. We don't need guards who can't pull. We don't even need an inside linebacker, and might not even need a fullback...
I mean did you expect Smelley to block like Vickers as a rookie? VICKERS didn't block like Vickers as a rookie! Smelley was a tight end! Give him a freaking minute!
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
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