Summary

When Martez Wilson arrived at the scouting combine in February, people knew he was an athletic freak, but few people predicted the numbers he would put up. Wilson measured in at 6036 and 250 pounds – basically the perfect size for a linebacker. He also has freakishly long arms (34 5/8 inches) and ran a 4.46 40 yard dash, recorded a 36″ vertical jump and a 10″04″ broad jump. Finally, Wilsons’ 10-yard split was clocked in at 1.59 seconds. Sounds like a top 5 pick, right? Well, unfortunately, Wilson played out of position (MLB) in Illinois’ 4-3 defense – which didn’t showcase his athletic ability. I attribute Wilson’s biggest flaw (inconsistent playing speed) possibly Keep Reading...]]>

Summary

When Martez Wilson arrived at the scouting combine in February, people knew he was an athletic freak, but few people predicted the numbers he would put up. Wilson measured in at 6036 and 250 pounds – basically the perfect size for a linebacker. He also has freakishly long arms (34 5/8 inches) and ran a 4.46 40 yard dash, recorded a 36″ vertical jump and a 10″04″ broad jump. Finally, Wilsons’ 10-yard split was clocked in at 1.59 seconds. Sounds like a top 5 pick, right? Well, unfortunately, Wilson played out of position (MLB) in Illinois’ 4-3 defense – which didn’t showcase his athletic ability. I attribute Wilson’s biggest flaw (inconsistent playing speed) possibly to lack of experience and knowledge of the game. If Wilson’s coaches say he is a hard worker, then I see this improving in time. Wilson has been projected as by many people to be a 3-4 OLB as well as a 3-4 ILB and I think he could do both very well, but he projects better as an OLB.

Run Stopping

Very underrated run defender. One of the things Martez does best is weed through traffic to find a ball-carrier. He fills his gap quickly, sticks to his assignment and uses his tremendous short area quickness to close and make a tackle. He’s strong enough to take on blockers without being over-powered and he disengages from blocks very well. He does go into his blocks high at times, but that can be fixed with coaching. He’s also very good in pursuit from sideline to sideline.

Coverage

As stated, Wilson is a much better player when he’s moving forward and side-to-side than when he’s moving backwards. Wilson was rarely asked to drop very deep into coverage, and also rarely covered anyone man-to-man so these concepts may be harder for him at the pro level. However, Wilson is still good at making a tackle in space and should excel in a system that gives him mostly zone drop backs.

Pass Rushing

Lined up at the line of scrimmage to blitz fairly often for a MLB and was very effective when doing so. Wilson is extremely explosive with good hip flexion and elite short area quickness. He’s also got very strong hands and a burst to close on the QB. Overall, I think Wilson projects as one of the best pass rushing LB’s from this class.

Tackling

An aggressive tackler who rarely tackles high or whiffs. His long arms help him wrap up well and he packs a punch and drives through a player to make a tackle. He does take bad angles more often than he should which is a cause for concern – but when he is able to make a play while moving forward he rarely misses a tackle.

Instincts

Good overall instincts and seems like a smart player who knows where the play is going to be, but as mentioned he does take poor angles sometimes which put him out of position to make a play. The reason for his poor angles is the inconsistency of his speed. Sometimes he just takes too long to decide where to run.

Hips/Lateral Movement

For being such a good athlete, Wilson runs as if he is stiff in the hips. I think this is almost an illusion or just his running style. When Wilson wants to get somewhere – he gets there fast. He doesn’t always play his fastest, but he’s capable of dominating at all times.

Additional Information

Started 25 games in his career and had a large role in the defense starting his freshman year. In 2009, suffered a herniated disk in his back which forced him to miss the rest of the year. It shouldn’t have long-term affects. He played DE for most of his HS career.

Production/Experience

Played in 13 games as a true freshman, 11 games as a sophomore, 1 game in the 2009 season before suffering the herniated disk, and started the full season as a RS-Junior in 2010.

Academics

Sport Management major.

Awards & Honors

2007: Honorable Mention Freshman All-American.

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Everyone agrees quarterbacks are the most important position. What’s next? And is the order of importance displayed in recent draft history? Here’s how I saw it before I went to the numbers.

I’d rank the order of importance… 1. Quarterbacks 2. Tackles 3. Defensive Linemen/Outside Linebackers 4. Cornerbacks 5. Wide Receivers/Tight Ends 6. Running Backs 7. Inside Linebackers 8. Safeties 9. Offensive Guards/Centers 10. Kickers 11. Fullbacks 13. Punters

This is obviously up for debate, but that’s how I saw it. After quarterbacks, people generally talk about Keep Reading...]]> So a few of the people I’ve talked to recently think that one of the reasons Cam Newton is the favorite for the #1 pick is because of the positional value of Quarterbacks. While I don’t agree with this methodology or see this as the reason he’s the favorite, it got me thinking about the order of importance for positions.

Everyone agrees quarterbacks are the most important position. What’s next? And is the order of importance displayed in recent draft history? Here’s how I saw it before I went to the numbers.

I’d rank the order of importance…
1. Quarterbacks
2. Tackles
3. Defensive Linemen/Outside Linebackers
4. Cornerbacks
5. Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
6. Running Backs
7. Inside Linebackers
8. Safeties
9. Offensive Guards/Centers
10. Kickers
11. Fullbacks
13. Punters

This is obviously up for debate, but that’s how I saw it. After quarterbacks, people generally talk about how important a dominant left tackle is since they protect the blind side. Then, with the emphasis on the NFL being a “passing league”, defensive linemen and pass rushers are becoming increasingly important because having people to get past the elite left tackles is necessary. Next, a shutdown cornerback like Nmandi Asomogha or Darelle Revis can change games and limit the quarterback’s options.

Wide Receivers, Tight Ends and Running backs are like the “toys” for an offense and a quarterback, specifically. Having a “star” at one of these positions can be seen as a luxury. However, without good “toys” to play with, it’s almost impossible for an offense to be successful.

Finally, inside linebackers, safeties, and interior lineman are players that typically play inside the hashes where sometimes an “average player’s” weaknesses can be hidden by a good scheme. Kickers, Fullbacks and Punters, while important, are players that have the least potential to make a huge impact on a team and therefore aren’t as important (Disclaimer: from the opinion of a Scout, not a Coach).

Now, let’s look at the history (last 5 years, located on my APDP Chart) of the draft. Two things to look at regarding the value of a position are the history of players selected in the first round, and total players selected for each position. Take a look at the following table:

From this table, the only major difference in my the way the NFL teams see first round value and the way I see first round value is in the Center position, which came up as 6th most valuable in the 1st round (I had them ranked at 11). Over the last 5 years of the NFL Draft (2006-2010), 14.2% of the centers taken in the draft were taken in the first round, which shocked me a little bit.

The initial shock of Centers being so high on the list doesn’t seem so shocking, however, when you think of just how much of an impact a great Center can have for an offensive line. They make all the line calls and help protect the QB. I think NFL teams realize this and it’s why I think over the next several years, we’ll see more and more Centers taken at the end of the first round.

Back to the original point of the article, Cam Newton. Is he deserving of being a top pick in the draft despite his flaws (that I will admit he has). No NFL Draft prospect is perfect when you look at them closely enough and one of the most important factors for determining whether or not you think a QB will be successful is if the things they do are good enough to compensate for the things that they don’t do well, especially early in their careers.

Let’s be real, no player starts their first game of their career and has the best game they’ll ever play. Since a Quarterback’s confidence and ability to ‘rally the troops’ is so important, it’s hard for a young QB to suffer major failures early and turn out to be successful.

The Carolina Panthers have the No. 1 pick and only a few weeks to make their decision. They have to decide if Cam Newton’s strengths as a player (Phenomenal athletic ability and the potential to be a tremendous passer as well) will outweigh his weaknesses (possible narcissism and questionable personality traits) early in his career? Will the Panthers be prepared to not force him into action too early? Will they be patient enough to wait for Cam to be mentally to handle the game, if he ever will be? It seems clear that Quarterbacks are the most valuable position to take in the first round, but sometimes a team needs to decide whether the top prospects’ available will be in a position to be successful whenever they make their first appearance in live-game action.

If you want my opinion, Cam Newton is worth the first pick in the draft only if the Panthers make the conscious decision to build a team around his ability before they allow him to play. This means improving the entire offense as quickly as possible, and this will increase his chances of having a successful career.

What’s different about these rankings from most others you have seen is that I separated my top 32 prospects into six different “tiers”. The tiers are markers of different talent levels. For example, if both Marcel Dareus and Julio Jones were left on the board, because Dareus is in the 2nd tier and Jones in the 3rd, I’d select Dareus every time. If I were submitting this to an NFL team as a scout, each player would have a numerical value assigned to them (Usually on a 5-8 scale). The only situation where I wouldn’t stay true to my board is if I had a star Keep Reading...]]> These are my first published rankings of the 2011 season. I don’t like to create any rankings too early in the process because everything ends up changing around up until about a month before the draft, which is exactly where we are now.

What’s different about these rankings from most others you have seen is that I separated my top 32 prospects into six different “tiers”. The tiers are markers of different talent levels. For example, if both Marcel Dareus and Julio Jones were left on the board, because Dareus is in the 2nd tier and Jones in the 3rd, I’d select Dareus every time. If I were submitting this to an NFL team as a scout, each player would have a numerical value assigned to them (Usually on a 5-8 scale). The only situation where I wouldn’t stay true to my board is if I had a star player at defensive tackle, and had a need at WR. I think the benefit of using tiers is because it shows a drop-off in talent level, and gives teams an advantage in understanding good trading situations.

A few explanations of some player rankings:
– I have Jimmy Smith as the second ranked corner by a small margin because of his potential as a shutdown corner. I think at worst he is an Antonio Cromartie type player, but at best he could be one of the best cornerback’s in the NFL.
– Da’Quan Bowers is lower on my list than some others partly due to the fact that I think he gets more credit than he deserves for his pass rushing ability. He’s still a top 15 pick, but I don’t see him as the top 5 player some made him out to be.
– I have Mark Ingram as my second ranked back because I think he’s going to be a solid player, but I don’t see anything special about him. He’s either good or above average at everything, but he doesn’t excel at one particular thing. Mikel Leshoure has big-time potential as a bigger back with nice burst and it pushes him to my top RB in 2011.
– Finally, I have Blaine Gabbert ranked as my 4th quarterback now, and it’s not going to change. He wasn’t that impressive on the field, shows a lack of instincts, and I think will take a long time adjusting to the speed of NFL defenses.

Summary

In today’s NFL, most teams use running back’s in a rotational way since it’s so hard for just one guy to carry the load for an extended period of time. In a way, this makes backs like Todman very valuable to NFL Teams. Todman is a smaller, shifty back with elite vision and quickness. He’ll find success in the NFL by being a change of pace back with big play potential.

As an inside runner, Todman isn’t the best. He needs to have more patience and wait for a hole to open before he runs into the backs of his blockers. He isn’t quite strong enough to break the arm tackles of bigger defensive lineman.

Summary

Jimmy Smith probably has the best natural cover skills of any of the cornerbacks in this draft, yet for some reason some think he would make a better fit at safety. Smith is abnormally tall for a corner, but in today’s NFL that’s something a lot of teams look for, especially when they have fluid hips to match. Smith’s character has been questioned this offseason, which could ultimately push him down further than his talent would suggest.

Smith didn’t get much of a chance to showcase his ball skills, especially his senior season when he was barely tested by opposing offenses. He did play WR in high school and showcased good hands at the combine. Keep Reading...]]>

Summary

Jimmy Smith probably has the best natural cover skills of any of the cornerbacks in this draft, yet for some reason some think he would make a better fit at safety. Smith is abnormally tall for a corner, but in today’s NFL that’s something a lot of teams look for, especially when they have fluid hips to match. Smith’s character has been questioned this offseason, which could ultimately push him down further than his talent would suggest.

Ball Skills

Smith didn’t get much of a chance to showcase his ball skills, especially his senior season when he was barely tested by opposing offenses. He did play WR in high school and showcased good hands at the combine. He think his ball skills are superior to Raiders shutdown corner Nmamdi Asomugha. The few plays he did get an opportunity to make a play on the ball, he usually did a great job.

Man Coverage

Smith played a lot of man coverage at Colorado, and especially press man, which allowed him to use his length, strength, and quickness to re-route a receiver. He’s not the most physical guy, but he uses his length to his advantage in man coverage and makes a lot of plays on the ball in tight coverage.

Zone Coverage

Colorado doesn’t play too much zone with their corners, so watching Smith in zone coverage is rare. He’ll probably have to refine his technique, but by all accounts he’s a smart guy with good instincts so he shouldn’t have much of a problem learning zone concepts.

Tackling

Smith is a fine tackler when he wants to be, but one of the major knocks on his game is a lack of willingness to make a tackle. He as almost a non-factor in the run game and was man-handled by receivers blocking him downfield. Considering his lack of aggression in the run game, it’s confusing how some want to move him to safety.

Run Support

See above. Smith is going to need to learn to help on run defense in the pro’s, or outside sweeps on running plays are going to be his Achilles heel.

Hips/Lateral Movement

Smith’s ability to sink his hips, turn and run are phenomenal for his size. He can turn and run with just about anyone. He’s a very fluid athlete.

Size, Speed, Strength & Agility

At the combine, Smith put up 24 reps of 225 pounds, very impressive for a corner prospect, and at least shows good weight room work ethic. He doesn’t always use that strength to his advantage on the field, but it shows his commitment to the weight room. Smiths size and speed are exactly what’s needed in a shutdown corner and showed average agility (but tremendous for his size) with a 6.94 3-cone at the combine.

Additional Information

Smith missed 2 games in 2008 due to injury, but has played in every game since then. Started the last 27 games of his career. He was only targeted around 20 times total in 2010. Four of his brothers have played college football.

Academics

Earned his degree in Sociology in December, 2010.

Awards & Honors

2010: 1st Team All-Big 12.
2009: 2nd Team All-Big 12 (AP).

Disagree with our scouting report? Think we’ve left something out? Maybe you’ve seen something we just haven’t. Thanks okay! Leave your own scouting report using the comments feature at the bottom of the page. We at Draft Breakdown value your opinion and we’d love to hear it. This feature is available on all of our scouting reports, articles and blogs. Help keep Draft Breakdown a one stop shop for all your NFL Draft needs!

Martez Wilson was the first to perform the drills. He was asked to show his coverage ability quite a bit, and ran a mock wheel route down the sideline – catching the ball over his shoulder several times (and dropping a few). He looked decent changing directions, but he did look be running very upright. His 4.28 and 7.04 in the 20-yard-shuttle and 3-cone drill at the combine are only Keep Reading...]]> At the Illinois Pro Day, there were approximately 40 scouts and coaches in attendance (30 teams, Tampa Bay and Arizona were missing), including New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan. There were three top Junior prospects that people had their eyes on; RB Mikel Leshoure, LB Martez Wilson, and DT Corey Liuget. Unfortunately, all three of those guys decided to sit on their numbers from the combine. However, all of them went through positional drills run by the scouts.

Martez Wilson was the first to perform the drills. He was asked to show his coverage ability quite a bit, and ran a mock wheel route down the sideline – catching the ball over his shoulder several times (and dropping a few). He looked decent changing directions, but he did look be running very upright. His 4.28 and 7.04 in the 20-yard-shuttle and 3-cone drill at the combine are only average numbers and show exactly what was seen from Scouts and Coaches at the Pro Day – Wilson is an elite straight line athlete with great size, but he’s only average when it comes to changing directions. After the pro day, I’d put Wilson’s stock in the range of picks 25-40.

Corey Liuget looked as though he was a little out of shape, but he still preformed well in drills. He spoke with reporters for a while after the pro day and he came off very intelligent and humble. Liuget’s footwork looked fantastic. His stock probably improved, although I doubt that Jets Coach Rex Ryan was there to watch Liuget – he doesn’t fit the scheme that they run in New York. Liuget is strictly a 3-technique DT in a 4-3 defense. I’d put his stock somewhere from the end of round 1 to the middle of round 2.

Mikel Leshoure was the last to perform drills and he was extremely impressive. He’s one of the more natural runners of the football I’ve seen in person. He’s also a natural hands catcher. Even though he only had 37 career receptions at Illinois, I expect him to be a much bigger threat out of the backfield in the NFL. I spoke with Leshoure prior to his drills and he also appears like a class act. I think Leshoure could be a top 25 pick after the Pro Day.

The rest of the Pro Day had some interesting moments as well. One of the Illinois players showed extreme immaturity and mooned his friends, family, and teammates on the visitor sideline. Travon Bellamy, a potential UDFA defensive back, posted the best 20-yard-shuttle of the day at 4.08 seconds. He started 11 games at Safety in 2008. LB Nate Bussey posted some impressive numbers at 6’1” and 228 pounds. He recorded a 4.49 40-yard dash, 10’1” broad jump, and a 4.28 20-yard shuttle. He’s also a UDFA prospect with some Special Teams potential. WR Jarred Fayson posted the best 40 time with a 4.39. The Baltimore Ravens spent a lot of time with OL Randall Hunt, who looked un-athletic at times, especially while running. He did put up 33 reps on the bench, though.

Summary

JJ Watt has seen his stock soar after he quietly dominated the combine. Most people assumed he was only an average athlete coming into the combine, and after the combine shot up most draftniks boards. He put together a fairly dominating season at DE for the Badgers, and had his best performances in big games. He is scheme versatile and has the length, strength, athleticism, and hand quickness and ability to disengage from blockers you look for in a 3-4 end, and also the pass rushing abilities of a 4-3 end. Watt ultimately looks to be one of the safer defensive picks in the draft.

Watt is an above average run defender who uses Keep Reading...]]>

Summary

JJ Watt has seen his stock soar after he quietly dominated the combine. Most people assumed he was only an average athlete coming into the combine, and after the combine shot up most draftniks boards. He put together a fairly dominating season at DE for the Badgers, and had his best performances in big games. He is scheme versatile and has the length, strength, athleticism, and hand quickness and ability to disengage from blockers you look for in a 3-4 end, and also the pass rushing abilities of a 4-3 end. Watt ultimately looks to be one of the safer defensive picks in the draft.

Run Stopping

Watt is an above average run defender who uses his short area quickness, long arms, and strong hands to disengage from blockers to stop the run. He’s also very instinctive and knows when to get off his blocks. He struggled at times when more powerful backs ran right at his gaps to wrap up and make a tackle. Because of his height, he sometimes struggled to get leverage and played too high, ending in him getting stood up and pushed back by a lineman. His height also makes it harder for him to penetrate and blow up a running play.

Pass Rushing

Watt has an incredible first step and a powerful punch to knock blockers off balance and get by them with his quickness. He’s probably too tall and not flexible enough to bend around the edge to rush the passer, though. He’s better at taking smaller angles to get to the QB and using his quickness and strength to get there. Despite his quickness through the gaps and acceleration off the line, Watt lacks a burst to close which could make it harder for him to come by actual sacks in the NFL (but he should still pressure the QB plenty). He has a tremendous motor and gives it all on every play.

Awareness

On passing plays, Watt is very aware and also knows how to diagnose a screen play. On running plays, I saw a few times when he spent too much time watching the lineman instead of paying attention to where the ballcarrier was. This is something that can be corrected with coaching.

Hand Placement

Watt’s tremendous hand size and strength is one of the best aspects of his game and one of the things that makes him so intriguing. He never allows a lineman to lock on to him, always keeps his hands inside and keeps his hands moving and punching to shed a tackle.

Additional Information

Watt transfered to UW-Madison from Central Michigan, where he played tight end. In his 1 year there he played in several games and caught 8 balls. That further shows his athletic ability and understanding of offensive concepts and playbooks. He redshirted at Wisconsin in 2008 and has started every game for the Badgers since (26 starts). In high schools he also lettered in baseball, basketball, and track and was a state champion in the shot put.

Production/Experience

2010: Started in 13/13 games
2009: Started in 13/13 games
2008: Redshirt
2007: (@CMU), played in all 14 games

Academics

Life Science Communication major

Awards & Honors

2010: Wisconsin Team Co-MVP. Lott Trophy Winner. 2nd Team All-American (AP & Sports Illustrated).

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Summary

Prince Amukamara came into his senior campaign at Nebraska ranked as one of the top defensive backs in football. Although he didn’t record an interception this year, he was only thrown at 52 times the entire year (and only 18th of those were completed, 35%). Amukamara is a physical cornerback with a lot of upside that will likely see himself selected in the first 10 picks of the draft. There are some who think he would be more successful at safety, but we think his best fit is at corner.

Prince’s ball skills have been questioned as he didn’t record an interception in the 2010 season. This probably has more to due with a lack Keep Reading...]]>

Summary

Prince Amukamara came into his senior campaign at Nebraska ranked as one of the top defensive backs in football. Although he didn’t record an interception this year, he was only thrown at 52 times the entire year (and only 18th of those were completed, 35%). Amukamara is a physical cornerback with a lot of upside that will likely see himself selected in the first 10 picks of the draft. There are some who think he would be more successful at safety, but we think his best fit is at corner.

Ball Skills

Prince’s ball skills have been questioned as he didn’t record an interception in the 2010 season. This probably has more to due with a lack of opportunities more than anything else. Amukamara isn’t a ballhawk, but he’s more than capable of making a play on the ball.

Man Coverage

Most of Nebraska’s defense is man coverage based because they get constant pressure with their front 7. Prince excels in man-man and is great at sticking with his guy as the play develops. This is possibly Prince’s greatest attribute and will really help his transition to the NFL.

Zone Coverage

Amukamara doesn’t have as much experience in zone as some other corners in the draft, but that could be because he was left on an island to cover his man so often. He does display the basic read and react skills necessary to be a zone player, though, and is good at tackling in open space which is necessary for a zone player.

Tackling

He displays sound tackling technique and a willingness to make a tackle.

Run Support

Prince is a very solid run defender. He’s a good tackler who isn’t afraid to be physical and is big enough to handle tackling bigger running backs.

Hips/Lateral Movement

This is an area were Amukamara is only average/slightly above average in comparison to his peers at the position. He is a little slower changing directions than you would like to see, but he has sound “flip and run” technique with his hips to turn and run with a receiver. This area is a reason that some believe he may be best suited as a safety.

Size, Speed, Strength & Agility

Prince has a perfect blend of size and speed for a cornerback in the NFL. Big enough to handle the physical possession receivers, and fast enough to handle the speedy playmakers. He looks very fluid when he runs, although his straight line speed isn’t elite.

Additional Information

Amukamara didn’t miss any games due to injury in his career. He started a total of 31 games over his career. The immediate assumption that he would make a better Safety than Corner due to his size and physicality is a bit unwarranted seeing as how he played mostly man-man defense at corner and shined in that role.

Academics

Was a Political Science major, and was named to an Honor Roll in 2007.

Awards & Honors

2010: 1st Team All-American. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (coaches). Finalist for Jim Thorpe Award. 1st Team All-Big 12. Brook Berringer Citizenship Award.
2009: 2nd Team All-Big 12.

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Explanation of Player Grading System

Keenum was on pace to set several NCAA all-time passing records before he tore his ACL only 3 games into the 2010 football season. Keenum was a redshirt senior in 2010, so it’s doubtful that he will apply for Keep Reading...]]>

Non-position specific categories

Quarterback Specific Categories

The Breakdown

Keenum was on pace to set several NCAA all-time passing records before he tore his ACL only 3 games into the 2010 football season. Keenum was a redshirt senior in 2010, so it’s doubtful that he will apply for a medical redshirt to return to Houston in 2011. It is more likely for him to concentrate on getting healthy in time for the 2011 NFL Combine.

Strengths

Full report coming soon!

Weaknesses

Full report coming soon!

Analysis

Full report coming soon!

Experience

Keenum has been starting full time since the middle of 2007 after a competition to replace Houston QB Kevin Kolb.

Awards and Honors

2009: Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. Finalist, Davey O’ Brien Award. Finalist, Walter Camp Award. Sammy Baugh Trophy.

Academics

Kinesiology major at Houston

Injuries

Torn ACL ends his redshirt senior season.

Athletic Experience

Lettered in basketball, track and football in high school as well as being the star quarterback and leading the school to the state quarterfinals in Texas.

Bloodlines

Son of Steve Keenum who served as an offensive lineman and later as head football coach and athletic director at McMurry University.

Off-field

Nothing of note.

Prospect Video Clips

Disagree with our scouting report? Think we’ve left something out? Maybe you’ve seen something we just haven’t. Thanks okay! Leave your own scouting report using the comments feature at the bottom of the page. We at Draft Breakdown value your opinion and we’d love to hear it. This feature is available on all of our scouting reports, articles and blogs. Help keep Draft Breakdown a one stop shop for all your NFL Draft needs!

Explanation of Player Grading System

Great size, bulk, and muscle definition. Precise route runner. Very strong and can drag people after the catch. Extremely smart and had the highest Wonderlic score at the combine with a 43. Really fights for the ball in the air. Great possession player. Uses Keep Reading...]]>

Eric Decker Position: WR School: Minnesota Height: 6’3 1/8“ Weight: 217 lbs Class: RS-Senior 40 time: -.– Overall Grade: 6.25 Draft Projection: 2nd Round

Non-position specific categories

Wide Receiver Specific Categories

Strengths

Great size, bulk, and muscle definition. Precise route runner. Very strong and can drag people after the catch. Extremely smart and had the highest Wonderlic score at the combine with a 43. Really fights for the ball in the air. Great possession player. Uses his body well to shield defenders. Made a lot of big plays in college. Very good blocker. Tough and will go over the middle.

Weaknesses

Ended his senior year with a foot injury, but he should be healthy in time for training camp. Doesn’t have great speed and isn’t sudden at all, but he gets open. May have reached his potential and doesn’t have a ton of upside. Didn’t always get consistent separation and he may struggle to do so in the NFL. Is he athletic enough to play in the slot?

Analysis

You know what you’re getting with Eric Decker. He’s a great possession receiver with good character who made a lot of big plays. He’ll contribute immediately and could potentially turn in to a solid 40-50 catch a year type player.

Experience

Three year starter at Minnesota.

Awards and Honors

2009: n/a
2008: 1st team All-Big 10. Academic All-Big 10.
2007: n/a
2006: n/a

Academics

Business marketing education major at Minnesota.

Injuries

Misses 1 game in 2008 with ankle injury. Has knee surgery at the end of 2008 season. Misses majority of the 2009 season with torn ligaments in his right foot, which required surgery. Has screws from his surgery removed in March of 2010.

Highlight/Lowlight Video – from our friends at Pro Draft Party