NFL Draft 2014 Preview (37 page)

Strengths:
Big body — looks the part. Fires off the snap and engages quickly. Is difficult to displace and has a strong upper body. Able to control blocks and locate the ball. Plays with a load in his hands — presses blockers, extends and discards. Generates a strong bull rush and collapses the pocket. Is athletic and redirects well for a big man. Flashes disruptive ability and dominates at times, creating production for teammates. Scheme versatile. Has upside.

Weaknesses:
Takes some plays off and occasionally loafs on plays away from him. Could stand to develop counters and pass-rush moves. Does not threaten the edges. Does not accelerate off blocks and closing burst is just average. Can do a better job protecting his legs. Weight and conditioning have fluctuated.

Future:
Big, strong-bodied interior force who shed weight and improved his stamina as a senior, displaying NFL-caliber physicality in the trenches. Has been inconsistent in the past, but if the light has come on, Jones’ combination of size, power and movement enables him to play as a 4-3 one-technique or 3-4 five-technique.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He didn’t look very natural at the Combine moving around. I was expecting to see better. He looked more disruptive on tape than athletic.”

NT ZACH KERR, #94

DELAWARE
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Grade: 5.10

Ht: 6-1 3/8 | Wt: 326 | Sp: 5.08 | Arm: 32 7/8 | Hand: 9 3/4

History:
Two-way lineman won a state title as a Maryland prep. Started the 2008-09 school year at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy prep school before enrolling at Maryland in January ’09, where he participated in spring practice. Saw limited action in seven games as a freshman, recording two tackles. Missed time with a concussion. Played in 13 games as a reserve defensive lineman in ’10 and had 21 tackles, one-half tackle for loss and zero sacks. Was also used as a goal-line fullback on offense. Did not play in ’11, as he transferred to Delaware. Earned a starting spot with the Blue Hens in ’12, starting 11 games at right defensive tackle and recording 27-4 1/2-1 with one pass batted. Intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage against William & Mary and ran 47 yards for a touchdown. Started all 12 games in ’13, tallying 57-5 1/2-3 1/2 with two passes batted and two forced fumbles. Team captain.

Strengths:
Has a solid frame with long arms. Good lower-body power — can collapse the pocket and walk blockers back to the quarterback when he comes off the ball low. Secure tackler. Regularly splits the double team and can stack the point vs. single blocks. Likes the weight room and works to improve.

Weaknesses:
Short. Limited agility. Tends to wear down, takes some plays off and effort wanes. Gets fooled by misdirection and can be late to locate the ball. Could stand to improve hand use as a pass rusher and shedding blocks. Regularly faced inferior competition. Has a concussion history.

Future:
Thick-bodied, long-armed, powerful 3-4 nose tackle with scheme versatility to factor in a rotation for an even or odd front. Uses a lot of finesse and would be best utilized in a defense where he is allowed to slant, stunt and shoot gaps. Has moldable tools to develop.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

DLE-OLB AARON LYNCH, #19 (JUNIOR)

SOUTH FLORIDA
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Grade: 5.17

Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 249 | Sp: 4.69 | Arm: 34| Hand: 10 1/4

History:
Highly recruited Florida prep. Began his college career at Notre Dame — played 12 games as a true freshman in 2011, starting six at defensive end, and recorded 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks with two passes batted and one forced fumble. Left the team during spring practice in ’12, expressing an interest to play closer to home, and transferred to South Florida. Was forced to sit out that season after his transfer waiver was denied by the NCAA. In his lone season with South Florida, he tallied 29-11 1/2-5 with one pass batted in 12 games (10 starts) in ’13. Had a 44-yard fumble return for touchdown against Connecticut. Weight has fluctuated heavily, which he reportedly said stems from his use of Adderall. Did not work out at the Combine because of a right hamstring injury (medical exclusion).

Strengths:
Outstanding size, including long arms and large hands. Flashes some playmaking ability. Deceptive strength to leverage the edge. Has a giant wingspan and can corral ball carriers.

Weaknesses:
Classic underachiever. Questionable effort, motor and desire. Leaves production on the field. Does not play with passion and lacks urgency. Goes through the motions. Is not a strong or creative rusher and does not create plays. Lacks concentration and focus. Will require maintenance. Weight has fluctuated a lot. Managed just 18 benchpress reps at the Combine. Did not show well at his pro day — managed just a 29-inch vertical and recorded poor times in the 3-cone drill (7.46 seconds) and short shuttle (4.61 seconds).

Future:
A big, athletic prospect who displayed the most potential as a freshman at Notre Dame. Has underachieved since transferring closer to home and shedding considerable weight. Must prove motivated to reach his potential. Finished the season strong and finally showed signs of the talent he displayed as a standout freshman. Would benefit from a strong, mentoring, veteran position coach, and could land with a team like the Bengals, who have a propensity to gamble on boom-or-bust prospects, especially in the mid to late rounds when reward outweighs risk.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“I’m not sure how much he loves the game. I wanted to put a reject grade on him. He didn’t have any production or many any plays early in the games I saw. His sacks were washed to him. If you looked at my notes, the negative column was littered and I struggled to find any positives. I usually don’t write guys like that.”

5T-DT EATHYN MANUMALEUNA, #55

BYU
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Grade: 5.15

Ht: 6-2 1/4 | Wt: 296 | Sp: 5.16 | Arm: 32 1/4 | Hand: 10

History:
His name is pronounced “EE-thin MAH-noo-MAY-lay-oo-nah.” The Alaska native is married and has a son. His uncle, Robert Anae, is BYU’s offensive coordinator. His cousin, Brandon Manumaleuna, was a fullback with the Rams, Chargers and Bears from 2001-2010. As a Utah prep, he was a two-way starter and helped lead his team to a state championship. Enrolled at BYU in 2007 and started all 13 games at nose tackle as a true freshman, recording 25 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack with one pass batted. In the Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA, he blocked a potential game-winning field goal attempt as time expired. Served a two-year mission to Oklahoma City before returning to the football field in ’10, appearing in 13 games (eight starts) and registering 27-3-2 1/2 with one pass batted and one interception. Started four games at left defensive end and four at nose guard. Made all 13 starts at right DE in ’11 and had 33-0-0. In what was supposed to be his final season in ’12, he started the first four games at left DE before suffering a season-ending injury – tearing the patella tendon in his left knee. Had opened the year 11-4-2 with a pass batted and one forced fumble, starting in front of Lions 2013 first-round pick Ziggy Ansah. Was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA. Returned in ’13 and made 13 starts at nose tackle, tallying 25-3-1 with one pass batted. Concluded his career having appeared in a school-record 56 games.

Strengths:
Good strength, balance and body control. Lines up in a flexible stance and engages quickly. Generally holds his ground. Has two-gap ability. Shoots his hands to stack, locate and shed. Can press his man and walk him back to cave the pocket. Moves very well for a big man, especially laterally — can pick ‘em up and put ‘em down in chase mode. Senses screen. Strong wrap tackler. Has NFL bloodlines.

Weaknesses:
Lacks ideal length and bulk — can be locked up by larger blockers. Is not a quick-twitch, power player. Marginal sack production — one-dimensional rusher who could stand to develop counter moves. What you see is what you get — will be a 25-year-old rookie.

Future:
Thick, stout, overaged defensive lineman with functional strength, awareness and competitiveness to provide depth and effective run defense. Is scheme-versatile, having played tackle and end in a hybrid front, and could be used as a 4-3 tackle or 3-4 five-technique. Good soldier.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

DLE-LOLB KAREEM MARTIN, #95

NORTH CAROLINA
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Grade: 5.44

Ht: 6-5 7/8 | Wt: 272 | Sp: 4.72 | Arm: 35 | Hand: 10

History:
Played football and basketball as a North Carolina prep. Played in 11 games (starting the first three at defensive end) as a true freshman in 2010 and had 16 tackles, 1 1/2 tackles for loss and zero sacks with one pass batted. Moved into the starting lineup for good in ’11 and tallied 40-7-4 with six passes batted, starting 13 games from the right DE position. Started all 12 games in ’12 and recorded 40-15 1/2-4 with three passes batted and one forced fumble. Had at least one tackle for loss in 10 different games. In ’13, he tied for eighth among FBS players in sacks, finishing the year 82-21 1/2-11 1/2 with three passes batted and three forced fumbles in 13 starts. Team captain.

Strengths:
Has very long arms. Good eyes and recognition — senses screens, locates the ball and understands contain. Strong-handed to punch and extend. Good short-area burst. Uses his length to force his way into gaps. Flashes power potential. Nice closing speed. Wrap tackler. Football smart. Durable three-year starter. Solid personal and football character with leadership traits. Showed explosion at the Combine, recording a 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump (tops among defensive linemen) and a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump.

Weaknesses:
Needs to bulk up and get functionally stronger. Has tapered legs and is not stout at the point of attack — does not generate power through his lower half and is too easily displaced. Pad level fluctuates. Needs to improve as a hands fighter. Can do a better job protecting his legs. Average get-off — pops up off the snap and initial steps are unthreatening. Rush lacks variety. Does not accelerate off blocks or consistently bend the corner. Occasionally loafs on the back side. Tweener traits.

Future:
Big, narrow-framed, long-levered defensive lineman who shows flashes of potential as a developmental, 4-3 left end, though he needs to fortify his base as a run defender and hone his technique as a pass rusher.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“(Martin) is really intriguing. He had a really good game against Pittsburgh. There were some inconsistencies with him taking plays off. I was hemming and hawing about where to grade him. I thought he was a sixth-rounder the first time I went through. I wound up sticking him at the top of the fourth. He got better late in the season.”

5T-DT JOSH MAURO, #90

STANFORD
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Grade: 5.09

Ht: 6-5 7/8 | Wt: 271 | Sp: 5.21 | Arm: 33 | Hand: 9 1/2

History:
His last name is pronounced “MORE-owe.” Born in St. Albans, England, the Texas prep moved to defensive end as a senior after playing linebacker and quarterback. Also lettered in basketball. Enrolled at Stanford in 2009 and redshirted. Was utilized in eight games as a reserve defensive lineman in ’10 and had seven tackles and one pass batted. Played in all 13 games as a reserve in ’11 and recorded four tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks with one pass batted. Was a key reserve in ’12, seeing action in 13 games and totaling 19-7-5. Entered his redshirt senior campaign in ’13 with no career starts and began the year second on the depth chart, but moved into the starting lineup in Week 3 due to injuries and never looked back. Recorded 51-12 1/2-4 with one pass batted, one interception and two forced fumbles. Made his first college start – in his 35th Stanford game – September 21 against Arizona State and had two tackles, one sack and a 25-yard interception return. Missed one game with a leg injury.

Strengths:
Big, well-built, projectable frame with little excess weight. Likes to play and it shows — intense competitor. Is strong enough to anchor down and set the edge. Can neutralize the double team. Plays bigger than his size. Experienced in a pro-style, 3-4 front. Tough and durable. Good weight-room work ethic.

Weaknesses:
Has never been a full-time starter. Mechanical, robotic movement. Needs to add some more bulk and bulk strength. Is a bit top-heavy. Minimal pass-rush ability. Still growing into his body and learning how to use his hands. Marginal foot quickness — late to the outside. Limited athletic ability to create penetration.

Future:
English-born, high-motor, developmental five-technique with intriguing growth potential. Has generated solid production from a wave role and could continue to be molded into a solid fencepost for a 3-4 front. Draws semblances to a young Brett Keisel, drafted in the seventh round by the Steelers in 2002, and has the makeup to play a long time in an unsung role occupying blockers and defending the run.

Draft projection:
Sixth- to seventh-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He’s so stiff he hurts me when he changes direction. That’s what is going to be most difficult to overcome. How many ultra-stiff guys stick in the league? Usually they flame out pretty fast.”