Author: Rob Staton (Page 393 of 422)

When I published my top-50 prospects for 2012 last week, it was an easy decision on who went #1 and #2. Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley are franchise quarterbacks in the making and only circumstance or injury will stand in their way.

Poise, accuracy, athleticism and ideal mechanics. Neither has the physical qualities of Cam Newton, Jake Locker or Blaine Gabbert, but they make up for it with high grades in all of the other criteria.

I reviewed Barkley in detail ten days ago (click here) and this is another opportunity to watch him at top of his game. Both quarterbacks competed at a high level when Stanford entertained USC last season, a re-match which will be eagerly anticipated later this year.

If Barkley doesn’t declare for the 2012 draft, we could be looking at the next two #1 overall picks. Should he enter the draft next April, he won’t last long after Andrew Luck is taken first overall. At the moment Luck is a more polished quarterback, but only after making major strides throughout the 2010 season (he was actually a little erratic to start the year). I expect Barkley to make the jump to elite college quarterback in 2011, a scary prospect for the rest of the PAC 12. Even now, there’s very little between the two quarterbacks.

Tape courtesy of Draft Breakdown’s JMPasq

Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame) and Dwight Jones (WR, North Carolina) carried very different expectations heading into their junior seasons. Floyd was the big name remaining on Notre Dame’s offense after Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate made the decision to turn pro. A lot of projections had him down as a potential top-15 pick with incredible physical qualities and decent 2009 production as a true sophomore despite injury problems during the season (795 yards, nine touchdowns). Brian Kelly was the new head coach and his spread system enabled Mardy Gilyard to thrive at Cincinnati with Tony Pike supplying the ammunition.

Jones on the other hand was a very different commodity. He had only five catches during his first two years with the Tar Heels for a grand total of 21 yards and zero touchdowns.

So why, twelve months on, is Jones among my top-50 prospects for 2012? Perhaps more importantly, why is Floyd absent from the list?

Let’s start at Notre Dame.

Generally speaking, Floyd didn’t have a poor 2010 in terms of the numbers. He reached 1025 yards and twelve scores which was an improvement on his first two years with the Fighting Irish. His average yardage per catch however dipped from 18-yards to 13 and the stats were padded somewhat by big performances against Western Michigan (157 yards, three touchdowns) and Tulsa (101 yards, two touchdowns).

Whenever I’ve watched Floyd I’ve always been left wanting more. Nobody can deny his obvious physical talent – he’s 6-3 and 227lbs with decent straight line speed. However, he doesn’t play up to those physical qualities. He’s not an aggressive player who makes the most of his size, his routes are often sloppy with a lack of explosion and he rarely extends his arms to complete a catch. Every now and again he makes a brilliant play that draws you in, such as this tip-toe’s grab against Stanford in 2009:

…But overall it just adds to the frustration of a player who promises so much and rarely delivers. If he really wanted to, Floyd could be great. Yet you see the general lethargy as he gets out of his breaks, the consistency with which he body catches the football and the general lack of explosion. Right now the best you can grade the guy is in the middle rounds as a complimentary possession receiver who generally runs a hitch or slant, but every know and again you can send him deep.

Everyone expected Floyd to declare for the 2011 draft and indeed for the most part it seemed like that would be the case. However, despite suggestions he has chose to return in order to complete his degree, I suspect the decision was largely based on unfavorable feedback on where he would be drafted. It certainly wouldn’t have been as high as perhaps Floyd expected.

Nevertheless, return he did with the task of getting his stock back on track and making the most of his physical gifts. So it was some surprise when it was revealed Floyd had been arrested on a drunk driving charge. He was more than twice over the legal Indiana limit with a blood-alcohol level of 0.19. Not the best way to show the doubters you warrant a higher grade and that 2011 is going to be your year.

Indeed it’s still unclear what his future will be. Floyd remains suspended by coach Brian Kelly, although he has worked through similar issues with Mardy Gilyard in the past. It seems likely that Floyd will return to the team eventually but he’s probably going into be in last chance saloon.

Teams love to draft receivers with size who can get down the field. Jonathan Baldwin maintained a place at the bottom of round one despite a lot of negative publicity leading up to the draft because he had size, made spectacular catches that negated the times when he switched off and of course he could run for a big guy. Floyd has a lot of work to do to have any hopes of going as early as Baldwin.

For highlights on his performance in the Sun Bowl against Miami, see the bottom of this piece. This was an odd game all round, I didn’t understand Miami’s coverage which often left Floyd in space or unchallenged. For two touchdown passes defensive backs tripped up or got in each other’s way. Floyd attempts an ill-advised one handed catch (and fails) which would’ve provided a third score.

In contrast, I graded Dwight Jones at #41 on my top-50 prospects for 2012 list.

His career at North Carolina was almost over before it began. He didn’t have the necessary academic credits and originally appeared destined to join little-known Valdosta State in Georgia. A bureaucratic error was eventually rectified and he was allowed to join the Tar Heels programme at the last minute. He didn’t feature at all as a freshman and some character concerns surfaced during his first year in the NCAA. Jones’ sophomore season also showed little promise, catching just five passes.

However, with several key UNC players missing through suspension in 2010, Jones had his opportunity. The team’s star receiver, Greg Little, didn’t play a single snap and his replacement took full advantage – recording 946 yards and four touchdowns.

It hinted towards the light finally switching on. Like Floyd, Jones is a physical specimen at 6-4, 220lbs but he has much greater deep speed and does a better job of creating separation. The thing that impresses me most about Jones is the way he adjusts to the ball, you don’t need to throw the perfect pass. There were times last year, such as the performance we see in the video below against Florida State, where Jones dominated and looked every part the high draft pick. He made the big plays, showed excellent hands and was explosive in a 223 yards, eight catch display. He also had 198 yards in a big win over Virginia. Consistency issues reigned supreme though and such dymanic displays were offset by one-catch peformances against Virginia Tech and Clemson.

He’s admitted consistency will be the key in 2011. You get the impression that while Floyd has to bounce back, Jones has momentum on his side. He’s already put the wheels in motion for improvement, he’s kept his head down and focused on the task in hand during spring camp.

The contrast between the pair goes beyond just that. Floyd is the storied five-star recruit who has warranted attention since year one at Notre Dame. He started his career with high expectations with the perfect introduction at a big school, but now he has to fight to justify the hype. Jones couldn’t have had a more different start to his college career, but right now his stock is on the rise. He needs to capitalise on that and keep improving.

This is potentially a very deep receiver group and depending on how things go this season, it may be one of the best we’ve seen in years. Mike Williams-clone Alshon Jeffery heads the class but it’s complimented by Jeff Fuller, Juron Criner, Justin Blackmon and Mohamed Sanu. The likes of Floyd, Jones and Arkansas’ Greg Childs will look to further enhance the depth on offer. At the moment, it’s Jones I’d back to claim that place as the #6 receiver on the board.

When I scan through the various early 2012 mock drafts and big boards, one name is unusually absent.

Tony Pauline doesn’t list him among 40 prospects to watch this year. He isn’t part of Walter Cherepinsky or Rob Rang’s 2012 mocks. He isn’t part of Chris Steuber’s big board. In fact the only place I’ve seen this guy register is in Chad Reuter’s early projection – as the 32nd overall pick.

Yet in my opinion, he’s right up there at the top end. Ultimate star potential, a defensive prospect who may be the best overall in college football. This is one player who will help define his team as they mount what I believe is a realistic shot at making a BCS Bowl, maybe even the big one. On his highlight’s tape, they borrow the name ‘Beast Mode’, but if Marshawn Lynch watches this guy play I’m sure he won’t complain.

The best pass rusher in college football is Bruce Irvin of the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was part of my top-50 prospects for 2012, published yesterday… Check it out by clicking here.

He enters the 2011 season as a second year JUCO transfer. He never registered in the 2011 draft talk as it became obvious he wouldn’t declare, but Irvin could well be the best player in next year’s draft not named Andrew Luck.

When you see him lined up on the field, he doesn’t strike you as a player capable of complete dominance. He’s 6-2 and about 235lbs, so he’s not Da’Quan Bowers. However, he plays the game like a 280lbs defensive end with a bull rush that’s a thing of beauty. See the video above, where he drives back a much bigger offensive tackle then with one arm dumps the quarterback on his back. The other arm is used to bring a similar fate to the lineman.

He’s lightning quick as you’d expect given the size but unlike Von Miller who relied completely on speed, Irvin is more than willing to engage a tackle, drive him into the quarterback or beat him with stunning hand placement. I’ve never see a guy with this size paddle away an offensive lineman before.

Add that to quite simply unmatched balance and an ability to explode off the snap, get to the edge with unbelievable lean and finish consistently. The guy is a machine with unnatural qualities. Perhaps the only thing he lacks is a great spin move, but with those glorious hands, incredible power for the size and elite edge speed you’re talking about a first class talent.

One of the issues I had with Robert Quinn, Justin Houston et al last year is that while they were great edge rushers, there was no range and they didn’t mix things up enough. Irvin doesn’t shy away from attacking inside, he doesn’t just rely on pure speed off the edge.

Von Miller went second overall as a 4-3 linebacker convert. Irvin can add 10lbs of muscle and for me, play in a four man front. The strength is there, he will stand up against the run and set the edge.

He’s the best kept secret in college football. Last season he recorded 14 sacks and yet received virtually no hype. West Virginia pulled off a masterstroke appointing Dana Holgorsen as their offensive coordinator and future head coach. He was the mastermind behind Oklahoma State’s free-scoring offense which consistently churned out talent at running back and wide receiver. The Mountaineers will have a productive offense next season and with Irvin leading the way on defense they’re an outside pick to go unbeaten next year. That’ll help to put this guy firmly on the map.

Make no mistake this is the most devestating, dominating and exciting player you’ll watch during the 2011 college season. I’d recommend reading this piece from Geoff Coyle on Irvin’s background and route to WVU. More importantly, take a look at the schedule and make sure you grab the opportunity to watch him in action.

I wanted to draw attention to a piece I did with Dan Kelly at Field Gulls. A few topics are discussed including reaction to the draft and the future at quarterback for the Seahawks. Click here

I had an email from 12 Angry Mascots asking to give this a push and was happy to oblige. Enjoy…