NFL Draft 2014 Preview (54 page)

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“I interviewed him and his brother. All they do is man cover. You ask them about zone coverage, and they couldn’t tell you the first thing about it. Someone will see their size and like their ability to press. If you keep it simple for them, there could be some value. I could see Seattle being interested.”

FS-LCB JONATHAN DOWLING, #1 (JUNIOR)

WESTERN KENTUCKY
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Grade: 5.29

Ht: 6-2 3/4 | Wt: 190 | Sp: 4.52 | Arm: 33 1/8 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Was rated as one of the top safeties in the country as a Florida prep. During his senior season, he had 14 interceptions (returning two for touchdowns) and three blocked punts. Also lettered in track. Began his college career at Florida, seeing action in two games as a true freshman in 2010. In November, though, he was kicked off the team in-season by coach Urban Meyer for reportedly not complying with staff and coaches as well as skipping class. Sat out in ’11, transferring to Western Kentucky. Returned to the field in ’12 and immediately made his presence felt, recording 68 tackles, seven pass breakups and six interceptions with 2 1/2 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 12 games (11 starts) at free safety. Scored on a 39-yard interception return against North Texas. Was suspended one game for a hit classified as “flagrant and dangerous” which had earned him an ejection. Started 12 games and tallied 67-7-3 with one tackle for loss and an NCAA-leading six forced fumbles in ’13. Returned a blocked field goal 70 yards for a touchdown against Morgan State.

Strengths:
Has a rangy frame with room for added bulk. Excellent height and long arms to contend in the air and play the pocket. Good hands to snatch interceptions. Nice linear fluidity. Covers ground with long strides — rangy off the hash to get over the top. Flashes striking ability when his shoulder blows connect. Playmaking ability — 9 INTs and 8 FFs in last two seasons. Has special-teams experience covering kicks.

Weaknesses:
High-cut and lanky for a safety — durability could be an issue and he needs to add body armor. Repped 225 pounds just eight times at the Combine. Gets bullied in the box. Average eyes and instincts. Takes some inaccurate angles. Shoddy tackler with poor fundamentals — hits too high, ankle-bites low or launches himself and whiffs. Talks too much and shows off-putting body language. Questionable mental toughness. Thinks he’s better than he is. Character, maturity and coachability should be looked into.

Future:
Lean, long-levered, smooth-muscled, finesse free safety with speed and range, though he’s more interested in hitting than securing tackles — he does not provide dependability desired on the back end.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

RCB-FS ANTONE EXUM, #1

VIRGINIA TECH
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Grade: 5.45

Ht: 5-11 5/8 | Wt: 213 | Sp: 4.59 | Arm: 31 5/8 | Hand: 9 5/8

History:
His first name is pronounced “AN-tone.” High school defensive back-quarterback who also returned kicks as a Virginia prep. Redshirted in 2009. Saw his first collegiate action in ’10 and played in 14 games, including four starts at free safety and one start at the WHIP linebacker position — had 45 tackles, a team-high nine pass breakups and zero interceptions with 1 1/2 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Was suspended for the first quarter of the Orange Bowl for missing a team curfew. Started all 14 games in ’11 (11 FS, three at rover) and had 89-10-1 with five tackles for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles. During spring drills in ’12, he was moved to cornerback and had a breakout year, totaling 48-16-5 with 1 1/2 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 13 starts. Was named the MVP of the Russell Athletic Bowl, returning an interception 32 yards in the Hokies’ victory over Rutgers. Suffered a torn ACL and lateral meniscus of his right knee in a pickup basketball game in January ’13, necessitating surgery (Dr. James Andrews). Was unable to participate in off-season workouts and spring drills. After sitting out the first seven weeks of the season, he returned to the field in October and started three games, tallying 4-1-0. Early in his third start against Miami, he sprained his left ankle and missed the rest of the year.

Strengths:
Thickly built with defined muscle, a nice wing span and thin ankles. Very good body control and ball skills — adjusts well in the air. Fluid pedal and movement skill for his size. Very good press strength to hem receivers at the line. Has extensive experience at safety and was used as a gunner and jammer on special teams. Very smart and well-spoken.

Weaknesses:
Average short-area quickness and leaping ability. Technique needs to be coached up. Not natural commanding the back end and making coverage adjustments vs. complex schemes. — Likes to do things his own way — confidence borders on arrogance and could rub some people the wrong way

Future:
Big, strong cornerback with appealing size, field speed and press-coverage ability. Must prove that he can recover from offseason knee surgery and return to being the player he was as a junior.

Draft projection:
Third- to fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He is a good athlete. He can man cover. If you put him in a zone system where he has to make a lot of adjustments, he will struggle. He has played safety and corner. I don’t think he is a safety. He is a corner in the league. That’s where his value will be. You have to go back to his junior year to appreciate what he can do.”

LCB KYLE FULLER, #17

VIRGINIA TECH
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Grade: 5.90

Ht: 5-11 3/4 | Wt: 190 | Sp: 4.49 | Arm: 32 7/8 | Hand: 9 3/8

History:
Is part of a quartet of Fuller brothers to play for Virginia Tech. His oldest brother, Vincent, lettered for the Hokies from 2001-2004 and played parts of seven years in the NFL with Tennessee and Detroit. Was teammates with brother Corey (who is now with the Lions) in 2012. Played alongside his youngest brother Kendall in the Tech secondary in 2013. His cousin, Damien Russell, started the family tradition when he played for the Hokies from 1988-1991. In high school, the Baltimore native missed most of his senior year with a finger injury. Arrived in ’10 and saw action in 12 games as a true freshman, starting six games (two at boundary corner, one at field corner, three at the whip linebacker position) — recorded 32 tackles, six pass breakups and zero interceptions with four tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Made all 14 starts in ’11 (seven at CB, seven at the nickelback/whip) and had 65-7-2 with a team-high 14 1/2 tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks and one forced fumble. Recovered a blocked punt in the end zone against Appalachian State. Started all 13 games at cornerback in ’12 and had 52-5-2 with three tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Was limited to nine games (eight starts) in ’13 with a sports hernia, undergoing surgery in late November (Dr. William Meyers). Missed four games with the injury. Had 24-10-2 with two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and his first career blocked punt. Team captain.

Strengths:
Good size, arm length and balance. Plays faster than he times thanks to keen instincts, anticipation and route recognition. Zone aware with good eyes, ball reactions and hands to intercept. Outstanding leaping ability — has a 38 1/2-inch vertical jump and broad jumped 10 feet, 8 inches at the Combine. Willing run supporter. Has special-teams experience, including as a gunner and jammer. Tough and durable — logged 41 career starts. Team captain who understands what it means to be a pro. Was a 21-year-old senior.

Weaknesses:
Could stand to get stronger — managed just 12 benchpress reps at the Combine. Man-cover limitations. Lacks twitch for the position. Has a choppy pedal and some tightness in transition. Gives up separation at the break point. Average production on the ball. Shows some stiffness when required to break down and tackle in space. Slips off some tackles. . Squats on routes and is susceptible to double moves.

Future:
Narrow-framed, confident, competitive off-man/zone corner with nice length, field speed and awareness. Is capable of contributing early on special teams and in sub packages.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“(Fuller) is a physical player. He’s a man cover guy. He’s not an off cover guy. He has to be in a system where he’s playing man.”

RCB E.J. GAINES, #31

MISSOURI
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Grade: 5.27

Ht: 5-9 5/8 | Wt: 190 | Sp: 4.51 | Arm: 30 3/8 | Hand: 9 3/8

History:
Cornerback-running back who also played basketball and ran track as a Missouri prep. Played in 13 games as a true freshman in 2010 and recorded 26 tackles, one pass breakup and zero interceptions as a special-teams player and reserve defensive back. Took over as a starting cornerback in ’11 and tallied 69-16-2 with three tackles for loss and one forced fumble. The combined 18 passes defended set a Mizzou record and ranked fourth in the NCAA. Returned nine punts for 98 yards (10.9-yard average) and one touchdown, a 44-yard scamper against Western Illinois. In ’12, he totaled 74-11-1 with seven tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Scored on a 13-yard fumble recovery against Kentucky. In ’13, recorded 75-3-5 with four tackles for loss. In the SEC Championship game against Auburn, he had an 11-yard fumble recovery for a TD. Missed two games with a quad strain. Team captain. Bench pressed at the Combine, but was medically excluded otherwise (pelvis).

Strengths:
Good muscularity and thin ankles. Fills aggressively and supports the run. Likes to hit. Plays with confidence and carries a swagger. Good attitude and football demeanor. Competes hard and brings energy to the field. Good eyes and route recognition. Has experience matching up with slot receivers in nickel coverage and has returned punts. Very good career production on the ball. Proven special teams coverage defender.

Weaknesses:
Is short and short-armed. Plays a lot into the boundary. Shows some tightness in his hips. Average transitional quickness — lacks ideal burst and acceleration to recover and close ground. Can do a better job disengaging from blocks. Most of interception production stemmed from tips and overthrown balls (not created). Average hands.

Future:
Strong, physical zone corner with the toughness, awareness and football IQ to function highly in short spaces. A solid tackler, Gaines plays bigger than his size and takes a professional approach. Can make an immediate impact on special teams and work his way into a lineup.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:

RCB PHILLIP GAINES, #15

RICE
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Grade: 5.33

Ht: 6-0 3/8 | Wt: 193 | Sp: 4.38 | Arm: 31 7/8 | Hand: 9 5/8

History:
Also lettered in track as a Texas prep. Played in nine games as a true freshman 2009 (starting four times at field corner and twice at boundary corner) and had 31 tackles, three pass breakups and zero interceptions with one tackle for loss. Missed the final three games because of a broken right wrist. Saw action in 12 games (10 starts at boundary corner) in ’10 and had 64-6-0 with two tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Had a blocked PAT against Tulsa. In April ’11, he was arrested on a misdemeanor possession of two ounces or less of marijuana. He posted a $500 bail and was sentenced to one year of probation. In the fall, he started the first four games at left cornerback, but sustained a foot injury in the Southern Miss game. Missed the remainder of the year and was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA. Totaled 11-2-0 with two tackles for loss and one sack. Returned healthy in ’12 and started all 13 games at right cornerback, tallying 33-18-0 with two tackles for loss. Ranked second nationally with his 18 pass breakups. Returned a fumble 12 yards for a touchdown against Memphis. In ’13, started 13 times at RCB and recorded 36-9-4 with four tackles for loss. Was suspended for the season opener for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Set a school record with his 38 career pass breakups.

Strengths:
Nice length. Terrific timed speed — blazed sub-4.4 times at the Combine. Can be deployed in zone coverage. Plays the pocket. Good production on the ball — 35 passes defended the last two seasons. Tough and competitive. Is hardworking and well respected by coaches and teammates. Recorded second-quickest 3-cone drill among cornerbacks at the Combine (6.62 seconds).

Weaknesses:
Durability is a concern (has been dinged up). Underdeveloped and underpowered. Does not play to timed speed. Not equipped to handle man-to-man responsibility. Poor run supporter and tackler. Does not project as a core special-teams player. Tweener traits.

Future:
Lean, active zone corner whose ball skills will have to carry him. Could earn a roster spot on pure measurables, but lacks lacks desirable functional speed, twitch and physicality.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

LCB-RS JUSTIN GILBERT, #4

OKLAHOMA STATE
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Grade: 6.45

Ht: 6-0 1/8 | Wt: 202 | Sp: 4.37 | Arm: 33 1/8 | Hand: 8 5/8

History:
Played quarterback and defensive back as a Texas prep, also competing in basketball and track. Burst on the scene as a true freshman in 2010, returning 26 kickoffs for 698 yards (26.8-yard average) and two touchdowns while returning eight punts for 55 yards (6.9) in 12 games. As a reserve defensive back and special teams player, he had 18 tackles, one pass breakup and zero interceptions with one forced fumble. Missed one game with an undisclosed injury. Started 13 games at cornerback in ’11 and had 59-10-5 with one tackle for loss. As a kickoff returner, he went 26-703-2 (27.0) with a pair of scores. Had interceptions against a trio of quarterbacks who became NFL Top 10 picks — Stanford’s Andrew Luck, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III and Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill. In 13 starts in ’12, he tallied 63-9-0 with 2 1/2 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. As a kickoff returner, he was 32-827-1 (25.8) with a 96-yard scoring romp against West Virginia. Was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist in ’13 after registering 42-7-7 in 13 games (10 starts) with 18-453-1 (25.2) as a kickoff returner. Had interception returns for touchdowns of 31 yards at Iowa State and 43 yards at Texas. Did not start against Kansas State, sitting out the first half after being ejected the week before against West Virginia. Did not start and was limited against Baylor with an injured left shoulder. Concluded his college career with eight non-offensive touchdowns, including six on kickoff returns — one shy of the NCAA record.