Kyle is an absolute natural corner, displaying
incredibly fluid movement and good cover skills. He has a nose for the ball and
can keep up with even the most quick and speedy recievers. He can rush the
passer well, and he is one of the harder hitters in this draft class.
I graded him out as the best corner in the draft and he's also the most pro-ready. He will be a nickel on day 1 and ready to step in and start should Tillman or Jennings get hurt. Had a sports hernia last season, but it was surgically repaired and no longer a concern.
I wrote this pre-draft. Ego didn't do himself any favors by coming out early, especially considering how deep the talent pool runs for defensive tackles in this draft. He isn't particularly quick and he needs to get stronger. Not exceptional versus the run and sub mediocre versus the pass. Too many dumb penalties. Buyer beware. After being drafted, I went back and re-watched tape. In a game against Mississippi St, he was absolutely manhandled by Gabe Jackson. He couldn't shed blocks, he was thrown to the ground. All single blocks. He has a mediocre swim move. No other moves. He's not quick enough off the ball. He's a nose tackle all the way. I can't see him being successful playing 3 technique in the NFL.
I really liked Will Sutton coming out of college. He's a total 3-technique guy. He's quite fast for his size and very quick off the ball. He's tenacious going after the quarterback. But his arms aren't especially long and he gets locked up by offensive linemen. He needs to get better at shedding blocks to make plays. He will need to get stronger to be more effective against the run in the NFL. I'm not sure he's a 3 down linemen in the NFL, but he will have an impact in the league. Best in a rotation.
Carey is a pretty talented running back, but he will need to keep himself out of trouble. He had several brushes with the law and many team violations while at Arizona, including charges of domestic battery. He's a pretty violent runner, but due to his size, he isn't really a bruiser. He has very good vision and cuts back well. I would liken him to a poor man's Emmitt Smith. He does have a bad habit of dancing too much behind the line of scrimmage sometimes, but when he hits the hole, he takes several people with him on tackle attempts. He is also a 3 down back. He has good hands as a receiver and can make decent blocks protecting the QB. Has a good potential to win the backup role behind Forte.
Brock Vereen is the brother of New England Patriot Shane Vereen. While at Minnesota, he was a very versatile DB. He played CB, SS, FS, and single high safety. He is a pretty fast guy in long speed. However, he doesn't have that 2nd burst to catch up to receivers in man coverage. He has some good ball-hawk skills when in single high. But Vereen is best when he is coming in to play the run. I project him as a strong safety. In coverage, though, he will need to learn to turn his head when the ball is thrown or he'll get a lot of flags against him.
Fales is too short by NFL standards to play QB. However, he is probably the most accurate passer to come out of the draft this year. His numbers won't show it because of how many drops his receivers had, but the guy is really accurate. He isn't fast at all (ran a 4.99 40), but he's deceptively quick in the pocket. It makes him hard to bring down. He also throws really well on the roll out, so when he scrambles, he's dangerous. He has a short, quick release. I liken him to Philadelphia's Nick Foles. He lacks ideal arm strength, but then again, so does Peyton Manning. In the right system (ie Trestman's), I think he could be a very good NFL backup.
The guy had more reps of 225 pounds than Jadeveon Clowney. Yes. He did. He's also 6'5" 225 pounds. He had a 71 yard punt at Miami. He loves to come in and make tackles. He can punt, hold kicks, and do long kick offs. If he can manage to perfect pooch kicks, the kid could be a pro-bowler.
Leno started 36 games in a row for Boise St. Some at LT, some at RT. There were a lot of reports linking him to many different teams and there was a lot of quiet buzz about him in the late rounds. Teams seem to like his versatility and ability to play any position on the o-line (center, guard or either tackle). He squares his shoulders well and has quick feet. He needs to get stronger to be able to run block in the NFL, but has the makings to be a great contributor.
Christian Jones was a guy that was a jack of all trades for FSU. He can play Sam or Will OLB or play the mike. He can rush the passer. He can drop back in coverage. But I projected him to be a 4-5th rounder. So to see him go to the Bears as an UFA is exciting. I think teams passed on him because he doesn't excel at any one position, but I think that will bode well for the Bears expected hybrid defense and injury history.
Lattimore is another guy who played very well in college, but didn't dominate enough at the lower level to impress the NFL. But he's very athletic and a good linebacker.
Lynch did have a great season at QB last year for NIU. But I don't see him projecting as an NFL QB. There's talk of moving him to RB. Trestman said he had big plans for Lynch. I wonder if that means serving as the #3 RB and #3 QB and do half back option stuff or wild-cat. We'll see.
