NFL Draft Scouting Reports

Stephone Anthony Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

3/29/2015

MidFielder ~ Stephone Anthony ~ Clemson Tigers ~ 6025/243

Regarding MidFielders

MidFielders ~ This is in fact my collective term for all of what you Earthlings refer to as "LineBackers", a term that I consider moderately insulting to the Players in question. The reason I'm employing a collective term ~ at least for now ~ is that I believe that the Skill Sets for any of the 3 or 4 Jobs indicated therein are remarkably similar, though their Duties are certainly considerably divergent. The Prototype for any MidFielder would be about 6000/240 or thereabouts.

I don't consider Dragons that play what you Earthlings refer to as "OutSide LineBacker" in a 34 Defense to be MidFielders.
Dragons have a particular Skill Set and natural strengths which are divergent to those of MidFielders.

MidFielders, whether in a 434, a 335, a 425, a 245, or whatever you come up with, are natural Super Hybrids who can quite conceivably Rush the Passer, Drop into Coverage, and, above all, Defend against the Run.

When evaluating MidFielders, this is how I break things down:

Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body strength in the world still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Defensive Lineman to project Power in the Passing Game and to reject Power in the Running Game.

Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.

Combat Skills: Paw Power, Mechanics ~ Hand Speed & Positioning ~ and of course: Frame.

Intangibles: Processing Speed and Motor. Processing Speed or Diagnostic Velocity is about how quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to how the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape effects Blocking Schemes, and Motor is about Endurance and Drive: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.

Run Defense: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Navigating Traffic, Processing Speed, Motor, and Tackling.

Pass Coverage: Agility, Processing Speed, and Catch Point Capacity.

Pass Rush: Power, Agility, and Combat Skills.

Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:

Power

* Core Power ~ lower body Power. Core Power trumps Torso Power. Tyrannosaurus Rex had exceptional Core Power.
* Torso Power ~ upper Body Power. Important, but not crucial. T Rex had lousy Torso Power...yet was King.
* Anchoring Strength against the Run.
* Drive Power in the Pass Rush.

Agility

* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.
* Verticity ~ The Ability ~ or lack thereof ~ to Flips Hips and Turn & Burn in Pass Coverage.

Combat Skills

* Paw Power ~ The Power & Speed of the initial Punch.
* Paw Velocity ~ How active the Hands are.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Frame ~ Above all: WingSpan.

Intangibles

* Processing Speed ~ Field Vision. Rapidly Reading & Reacting to the Offense.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.

Run Defense

* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
* Navigating Traffic
* Processing Speed
* Motor
* Tackling

Pass Coverage

* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Catch Point Capacity

Pass Rush

* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills

Stephone Anthony Scouting Report

Power: Formidable. Impressive Anchoring Strength and equally impressive Drive Power.

Agility: Deficient. Exceptional Launch Velocity and extraordinary Acceleration, but awful Fluidity.

Combat Skills: Deficient. Raw, shaky Mechanics and shabby Navigational Tactics through Traffic.

Intangibles: Competitive. Tremendous Motor but mediocre Field Vision and Processing Speed.

Run Defense: Mediocre. Impressive Drive Power and exceptional Launch Velocity, so he can effectively blow up Runs right in front'f'm, but awful Fluidity, shaky Mechanics, and shabby Navigational Tactics through Traffic. He's blessed with extraordinary Acceleration in Pursuit, but his awful Fluidity and mediocre Processing Speed cripples that.

Pass Coverage: Deficient and potentially awful. Awful Fluidity and mediocre Processing Speed portend Trouble.

Pass Rush: Deficient. Impressive Drive Power, but awful Fluidity and deficient Combat Skills.

Stephone Anthony Prospectus

The Irony for me is that if Stephone Anthony didn't play for Clemson and have all that Tape out there, and I'd never heard'f'm until I heard of his spectacular Combine and his phenomenal Pro Day, I'd be frothing about this kid's Potential.

And, indeed: extraordinary might his Potential be.

There is such a wafer-thin line between a 1st Round Prospect and a UFA Prospect.

And I don't mind admitting that evaluating a Prospect like Stephone Anthony terrifies me.

Arguably the most confounding Aspect of Prospecting is that although I apply considerable mental resources in attempting to distinguish the Aspects of Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Motor, and above all Processing Speed from each other, they overlap and influence each other in many, many ways. It's no wonder that no one else tries to break it down as I do.

They probably know better. Hah!!

What I strongly suspect is going on here is that Stephone Anthony is one of those Prospects whose intrinsic Agility is far different from his effective Agility...and that the yawning gap that lies therein is attributable to Processing Speed.

Stephone Anthony's Combine Numbers, Pro Day Reviews, and Clemson Pedigree say he's a Top 10 Prospect.

His Tape...Well, I see a 5th or 6th Rounder, which is Light Years away from everyone else.

The Combine Numbers and Pro Day Reviews tell me there's Potential, here.

But the Tape tells me: Don't bet too heavily on it.

Trajectory is not always a Positive.

Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!

Yank Rank: Contender ~ Highly

OverRated!!

Market Value

2nd Round

Yankee Grade

4th/5th Round

Please do Note: This and all Evaluations issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men and women of Good Will!! I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!!

This is not is even remotely a Complaint, mind you, but rather a Warning: Caveat Emptor!!

0 Comments

Benardrick McKinney Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

3/28/2015

0 Comments

Bandit ~ Benardrick McKinney ~ Mississippi State BullDogs ~ 6040/246

Regarding Bandits

Throughout the FootBall World, Defenses are in the process of undergoing spectacular Disruption and Revolution. Old Roles are getting dramatically transformed, and virtually every Front 7 ~ or Front 6!! ~ Defensive Job Description is transitioning into an Hybrid Role where the Defender is asked to excel in multiple Roles and multiple Fronts.

For that reason, and in order to offer NomenClature that speaks not to archaic, obsolete "Positions", but rather to Skill Sets that accurately reflect the dynamic Changes of the 21st Century Game and the Roles they have spawned, I have undertaken to craft Terminology that is designed to break Skill Sets down as they really are.

Defensive Coordinators have, since Time Immemorial, employed highly creative terminology in devising Defenses and in designating Assignments. In that Spirit, I have admittedly indulged myself considerably in devising the following NomenClature. It is undeniably colorful, but I like to think that there's an underlying Logic, as well:

Bandits ~ This is my term, derived from Defensive Schemes, for Players with the WingSpan for the Defensive Line yet who, unlike Dragons, lack the Size to play there regularly, because they can't be expected to Anchor against the Run.

They are thus the right Size though a bit tall to play MidFielder and can generally do so, but I believe are optimally employed as Wild Cards, deployed all over the Formation from Snap to Snap, usually in the murky, shifty region between the Defensive Line and the MidFielders, usually standing up, and generally giving no clue as to their Intentions.

I believe that the Bandit, whatever he's called in a given Formation, stands at the very EpiCenter of the disruptive Changes that Defensive Formations are undergoing today. Their unique combination of Size & Speed offers precisely that Wild Card Variable that I believe is potentially priceless for Defenses to compete and indeed to excel in the incessantly and rapidly evolving Strategic LandScape of the 21st Century. The Prototype would be around 6050/245 or so, I'd say.

As the ultimate Defensive Hybrid, Bandits could quite conceivably Rush the Passer, Blitz the Run, or Drop into Coverage on any given play, and from virtually any alignment on the Line or in the BackField. They won't anchor against the Run very effectively, they won't overwhelm with Power in their Pass Rush, and they're not built to Turn & Burn with WideOuts in Coverage, but they are in fact optimally built to conceivably compete effectively in all three Facets of the Game.

Of course, where and how any given Coach chooses to deploy his Players is his Business. Players that I characterize as Bandits may often or even routinely line up anywhere, on any given Down. My only purpose is simply to identify what I perceive as Skill Sets, to distinguish types, if you will, and perhaps create a universal Point of Reference.

When evaluating Bandits, this is how I break down the Attributes to which I pay most particular attention:

Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the upper body strength in the world still fails if you can't dig in your heels. But Core Power enables a Defensive Lineman to project Power in the Passing Game and to reject Power in the Running Game.

Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering out there.

Combat Skills: Paw Power, Mechanics ~ Hand Speed & Positioning ~ and of course: Frame.

Intangibles: Processing Speed and Motor. Processing Speed or Diagnostic Velocity is about how quickly and effectively one Reads & Reacts to how the Rapidly Roiling Tactical LandScape effects Blocking Schemes, and Motor is about Endurance and Drive: How much Work has been put into Conditioning, and how it manifests itself.

Run Defense: Power, Agility, Combat Skills, Navigating Traffic, Processing Speed, Motor, and Tackling.

Pass Coverage: Agility, Processing Speed, and Catch Point Capacity.

Pass Rush: Power, Agility, and Combat Skills.

Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:
Broken down into SubCategories, it'd go something like this:

Power

* Core Power ~ lower body Power. Core Power trumps Torso Power. Tyrannosaurus Rex had exceptional Core Power.
* Torso Power ~ upper Body Power. Important, but not crucial. T Rex had lousy Torso Power...yet was King.
* Anchoring Strength against the Run.
* Drive Power in the Pass Rush.

Agility

* Fluidity, above all things: Core Agility & Flexibility makes everything possible.
* Launch Velocity ~ Speed into Contact off the Snap.
* Acceleration ~ Short Speed or Quickness.

Combat Skills

* Paw Power ~ The Power & Speed of the initial Punch.
* Paw Velocity ~ How active the Hands are.
* Paw Positioning ~ It's all about Angles & Leverage.
* Frame ~ Above all: WingSpan.

Intangibles

* Processing Speed ~ Field Vision. Rapidly Reading & Reacting to the Offense.
* Motor ~ Intensity and Duration.

Run Defense

* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills
* Navigating Traffic
* Processing Speed
* Motor
* Tackling

Pass Coverage

* Agility
* Processing Speed

* Agility
* Processing Speed
* Catch Point Capacity

Pass Rush

* Power
* Agility
* Combat Skills

Benardrick McKinney Scouting Report

Power: Tremendous. Outstanding Anchoring Strength and remarkable Drive Power.

Agility: Impressive. I've read a lot of unflattering things about McKinney's Agility, and within the context of playing MidFielder, I absolutely agree: Space is not kind to McKinney's Tape. But the man is 6040, and that is an unnatural Height for a guy playing close to half his Snaps in Pass Coverage. I project'm as a Bandit, which means that, whether on the Line of Scrimmage or set back, he'd spend most'f'is Snaps playing forward or laterally. And when I project'm thither, and compare'm to other Bandits, I find his Launch Velocity, his Fluidity, and his Acceleration quite impressive.

Combat Skills: Exceptional. Raw Mechanics, but tremendous Paw Power and outstanding Paw Persistence.

Intangibles: Impressive. Mediocre Field Vision & Processing Speed. Outstanding Motor.

Run Defense: Impressive. Outstanding Anchoring Strength, exceptional Combat Skills, and impressive Fluidity at the Point of Attack. Impressive Acceleration as well, but mediocre Processing Speed renders'm mediocre in Pursuit.

Pass Coverage: Deficient but potentially Effective, given the far more limited Responsibilities he'll have if he's retrained as a Bandit. He's agile enough to drop effectively, and shouldn't be tasked to play Man Coverage often, if at all.

Pass Rush: Competitive but potentially exceptional. McKinney has a very rudimentary Pass Rushing Repertoire right now, but his Paw Power and Paw Persistence are outstanding, and he's got the raw Tools ~ remarkable Drive Power and impressive Fluidity ~ to develop into a genuine Impact Player, given sufficient Time & Training.

Benardrick McKinney Prospectus

What an intriguing Prospect!!

For quite a while there, I was fully expecting to find myself writing up Benardrick McKinney's Grade & Rank in big red letters. And if I consigned myself to the rather silly limitations of writing this up within the crusty, musty, and dusty confines of the erstwhile Position ~ "Middle LineBacker" ~ that the rather crusty, musty, and dusty Old Guard would impose on young McKinney, then indeed I would've done precisely that, for as a MidFielder I see McKinney as a 4th/5th Rounder.

I've read comparisons to Brandon Spikes ~ who I still worship!! ~ and to Kevin Minter, and I find them perfectly appropriate. And both Spikes and Minter went in the 2nd Round in recent Years ~ hell, I mocked Spike thither myself, during my reckless Youth!! ~ but I would argue that both Picks were and have been proven to be egregiously overplayed.

But as a Bandit ~ as a Wild Card who could be deployed as Power Bandit on the Strong Side or Speed Bandit on the Free Side on Passing Downs or as Menacing MidFielder looming ominously over over the Line of Scrimmage on Running Downs ~ I believe that Benardrick McKinney could, with Time & Training, develop into a genuine Force.

Time & Training takes Time...and Training.

Millions of Lives could be lost.

And of course: There's the matter of elevated Risk involved, as what I propose for young McKinney involves a Conversion. As such, I feel behooved to attenuate my Grade & Rank to account for these things. And so I do.

But Benardrick McKinney is a lad whose current mediocre level of Field Vision does not, I sense, accurately reflect his true level of Intelligence any more than my own glacial Processing Speed does mine.

And as regards his Drive and his Passion, there is only universal Acclaim.

My Point, of course, is about Trajectory.

I believe that there's an awfully good Chance that this lad will become All He Can Be. And I believe that that encompasses a an Impact Player, tremendous FootBall Career, that of a phenomenal Team Player whose Impact goes far beyond Statistics.

Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!

Yank Rank: Warrior ~ Par Value!!

Market Value

2nd/3rd Round

Yankee Grade

2nd/3rd Round

0 Comments

Eric Kendricks Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

3/27/2015

3 Comments

MidFielder ~ Eric Kendricks ~ Los Angeles Bruins ~ 6003/231

Regarding MidFielders

Eric Kendricks Scouting Report

Power: Mediocre. Impressive Core Power, but Mass Matters.

Agility: Extraordinary. Impressive Acceleration. Magnificent Fluidity.

Combat Skills: Competitive. Raw Mechanics. Exceptional Paw Activity. Mediocre Frame.

Intangibles: Phenomenal. Tremendous Motor and magnificent Diagnostic Velocity and Field Vision. Very Disciplined, too.

Run Defense: Excellent. This Grade, mind you, is prefaced on the supposition that Kendricks gets deployed either as the Will MidFielder in a 43 or the Mike in a 34, as he lacks the Power to make a dynamic Impact either setting the Edge or taking on Offensive Guards. But his Fluidity and Processing Speed are simply sensational, and combined with that tremendous Motor and impressive Acceleration, they translate into phenomenal Range. Kendricks is far better at navigating Traffic if he's got a little space to work with, and he is an excellent Tackler.

Pass Coverage: Sensational. Simply freaking sensational. Kendricks is blessed with a preposterous wealth of combined Processing Speed and Fluidity, and this is where he shines brightest. That sweet, serpentine Fluidity translates into magnificent Verticity in Man Coverage ~ That's "Turn & Burn" Acuity, Earthlings!! ~ and Zone is just easy for'm.

Pass Rush: Deficient. Yeah, nothing to see, here. Deficient Power, active but raw Combat Skills, and good but not dynamic Closing Speed. And yet I'm going to go on the Record and predict that Kendricks rapidly evolves into a dangerous and shockingly productive X Factor in the Pass Rush. The impression that I get of Kendricks, frankly, is that he reads the BattleField with such extraordinary Speed and exhibits such incredibly instinctive Timing that I believe that he will instinctively know when he can get away with a late Rush, just like my 2012 SuperBinky, LaVonte David!!

Eric Kendricks Prospectus

Obviously, I am an enormous Fan of Eric Kendricks.

His Versatility is the least of his Attributes, in my eyes, but Scheme Versatility, he has. He fits perfectly as either a 43 Will MidFielder or, perhaps optimally, as a 34 Mike MidFielder. And there is no Sub Package that he wouldn't be great in.

As a 43 Will MidFielder, he'd be working the lighter side of the Field, which would free him up to slip through and around Traffic and chase in Run Defense or unleash his magnificent Pass Coverage Skills on the Enemy.

And as a 34 Mike MidFielder, he would be an absolute Natural. I believe that Kendrick's sensational Processing Speed and Field Vision, his tremendous Motor, and his universally acclaimed Love for the Game all simply add up to the fact that he was born to command an Huddle and lead his men in Battle. His Ted MidFielder would of course be tasked to clear Kendricks a path to the FootBall in Run Defense, Good Man, sparing his General such unwarranted Abuse, and Kendricks'll thus usually be free to determine how best to deploy his dynamic skills...and those'f his men.

As for Sub Packages...The more area to roam in, the more effective Eric Kendricks'll be!!

Ladies & Laddies? This kid was forged in a Kiln to play 21st Century FootBall.

Yeah, I'm a Fan.

Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!

Yank Rank: SuperBeast ~ SemiSleeper!!

Market Value

1st/2nd Round

Yankee Grade

Top 10!!

3 Comments

Hauoli Kikaha Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

3/26/2015

0 Comments

Bandit ~ Hauoli Kikaha ~ Washington Huskies 6024/252

Regarding Bandits

Hauoli Kikaha Scouting Report

Power: Competitive. Exceptional Drive Power. Mediocre Anchoring Strength. For his Size, both are outstanding, but he's rather compact, and his deficient WingSpan significantly inhibits his capacity both to project Power and to reject it.

Agility: Competitive. Adequate Launch Velocity, extraordinary Fluidity, and awful Acceleration, and yes that is an unusual and confounding combination!! It's probably just as well that Kikaha was too sick to run the 40 at the Combine, as he might've succumbed to a coronary incident. The man has no Speed. And yet he has the Fluidity of a Serpent.

Combat Skills: Extraordinary. His Paw Speed and Mechanics are phenomenal, but his WingSpan is deficient, and it hurts him in Combat. Even so, he was a Wrestler in High School and a Judo Champion, and it shows in Battle.

Intangibles: Phenomenal. Formerly raw, deficient Field Vision and Processing Speed improved considerably in 2014. I'd go with Competitive with Exceptional Potential. And his Motor if simply sensational. Utterly terrifying.

Run Defense: Mediocre. Kikaha exhibits extraordinary Core Power for'is Size, but his deficient WingSpan enables lengthier Blockers to get their hands on'm. This has the effect of rendering his Anchoring Strength mediocre. Even so, he's nevertheless generally effective at setting an Edge, due mostly to his extraordinary Combat Skills and that sensational Motor. He's deficient in Pursuit, however, due to that awful Acceleration, but he's a phenomenal Tackler.

Pass Coverage: Deficient. His Fluidity is extraordinary, yes, but that glacial Acceleration hurts'm considerably.

Pass Rush: Tremendous. His deficient WingSpan will cost'm many a Battle, and I fully expect Kikaha to get RagDolled on occasion, but there's no such thing as him being actually out of a Play, and that does translate to the next level, where even Professionals can get cocky and think their man's beaten. But Kikaha's relentless Motor is only one thing his Pass Rush has going for'm. Short of WingSpan, he may be, but that Judo Championship is no joke: Kikaha's Combat Skills are phenomenal, and when they enable'm to get in close quarters with his Foe, that's where he seizes the Advantage, because his outstanding Core Power, extraordinary Fluidity, and advanced Combat Skills will enable a man of extraordinarily violent temperament to vanquish many a Foe. And Hauoli Kikaha is precisely that guy.

Hauoli Kikaha Prospectus

One of the daunting Aspects evaluating Hauoli Kikaha ~ and one of the daunting Aspects of being Hauoli Kikaha ~ is that I've read in one report that he needs Space to operate effectively, yet in another read that he's...not that effective in Space.

Unfortunately, there's Truth in both these Statements.

I believe that Kikaha projects to be at best mediocre in Pass Coverage and at best adequate in Run Defense.

Even so, I believe that, despite obvious and considerable physical hindrances, Hauoli Kikaha's dynamic Pass Rushing production at Washington translates to the next level. He's a Try Hard Guy, to be certain, but I believe that there's a genuinely formidable Skill Set, there, one that belies the notion that he won't be an Impact Player.

And it comes down to his unique Pass Rush Skills, as touched on, up above: I have no doubt that his lack of WingSpan will cost'm many a Battle, and that he'll often get tossed aside like last week's Lottery Ticket. But so ferocious and skilled a Fighter will many far more Battles than many might think, just looking at'm next to the guy he's facing.

And once Kikaha gets the edge in a Battle...I don't expect that he's going to lose it to often.

Nope.

My Fellow Draft Writers ~ the ones who actually know what the Hell they're writing about, a distinction that I don't pretend to claim ~ often write, when dealing with Pass Rushing, about the term "converting Speed to Power", which is a painfully inarticulate attempt to refer to converting from Speed to Power. Only Willy Wonka can convert Speed to Power.

I prefer to adapt the infinitely cooler term Torsion.

And let me tell you: When Hauoli Kikaha drives on his man's OutSide Flank and then looks to corner on'm ~ to drive off his outside leg to the QuarterBack and through his aforementioned Foe ~ his Torsion is extraordinary.

In EarthSpeak, you say?

I believe that that short-armed Tasmanian Devil will drive many a 315 Pound Linemen right into his QuarterBack's lap!!

I do have concerns about the other Aspects of'is Game, so I must attenuate my Grade accordingly ~ as it seems others have done ~ but I certainly have little doubt that this guy will not only do whatever it takes to make the most of his considerable Talents, but rapidly become a great TeamMate and an enormous Locker Room Leader.

Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!

Yank Rank: Warrior ~ Par Value!!

Market Value

2nd/3rd Round

Yankee Grade

2nd/3rd Round

0 Comments

Eli Harold Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

3/25/2015

0 Comments

Bandit ~ Eli Harold ~ Virginia Cavaliers 6030/246

Regarding Bandits

Eli Harold Scouting Report

Power: Mediocre. Impressive Torso Power but deficient Core Power. Mediocre Drive Power. Deficient Anchoring Strength.

Agility: Superb. Impressive Launch Velocity, exceptional Fluidity, and superb Acceleration. The general view on Harold's Athleticism seems to be much higher than mine, because of the Combine. But I would argue that while his Numbers certainly beat most of the Defensive Ends, they were only moderately superior against the MidFielders.

Combat Skills: Tremendous. Exceptionally active Hands and excellent Combat Tactics.

Intangibles: Impressive, but mixed: Outstanding Motor, but mediocre Field Vision and shaky Gap Discipline. His Field Vision is especially difficult to get a bead on, as he flashes equal parts Brilliance and awful, rash Reads.

Run Defense: Deficient. Tremendous Combat Skills, working through Traffic, and superb Acceleration in Pursuit, but deficient Anchoring Strength, poor Tackling Mechanics, shaky Gap Discipline, and mediocre Field Vision.

Pass Coverage: Mediocre, due to light Deployment, but with impressive Potential. Harold boasts exceptional Fluidity, and that should translate nicely in Zone Coverage and even, I speculate, in Man Coverage. His Field Vision is actually a potential Strength, but only if his Diagnostic Acuity catches up with his Diagnostic Speed.

Pass Rush: Impressive, with Potential to become Formidable, and perhaps more. Harold brings an impressive mixture of impressive Launch Velocity, exceptional Fluidity, and tremendous Combat Skills to the BattleField, which enable'm to effectively Ricochet past Defenders who set up too far outside, initially. But I believe that what I consider to be mediocre Drive Power costs him egregiously, both in his consistent inability to segue from Speed to Power, and, perhaps more emphatically, in an incessant failure to generate enough Torsion at the top of his Route to drive back towards the QuarterBack. There is potential, here, though, if he continues to Beef Up, as he has in recent Years.

Eli Harold Prospectus

Eli Harold scares me. I'm really nervous about his shaky Core Power and his equally shaky Field Vision.

The combination could quite conceivably prove fatal to his Chances of Success.

As a Bandit, whether lined up in the Bandit spot itself, as a Standing Lineman, or deployed elsewhere, Run Defense is of course going to be crucial to Harold's Impact on'is prospective Team...And while I love his Motor, the combination of his lack of Discipline, his deficient Core Power, and his mediocre Field Vision render him a Liability, right now.

And I'm not entirely sure that I would want to bet on a positive Resolution to these issues.

But of course there is considerable Potential, here. If Harold continues to develop his Game and gets good Coaching, he could very well develop into an exceptional Pass Rusher, an exceptional Pass Defender, and even an exceptional Run Defender: He's got Agility, he's got a good Frame to beef up a bit more, and he's definitely got the Motor.

I believe that his Stock has gotten ahead'f'm, due to the relentless Bull Market for Pass Rushers, though. I'd certainly agree that his Potential warrants it, but I would attenuate it to allow for the substantial Risk that he doesn't develop. Considering the lofty Grades that I've assessed to other Pass Rushers, that may well sound ironic, but that's how I see things.

Grateful Thanks, as always, for the crucial Work done by the folks at Draft BreakDown!!

Yank Rank: Warrior ~ OverRated!!

Market Value

1st/2nd Round

Yankee Grade

2nd/3rd Round

0 Comments

<<Previous

Stephone Anthony Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

﻿MidFielder﻿ ~ Stephone Anthony ~ Clemson Tigers ~ 6025/243

Benardrick McKinney Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

﻿Bandit﻿ ~ Benardrick McKinney ~ Mississippi State BullDogs ~ 6040/246

Eric Kendricks Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

﻿MidFielder﻿ ~ Eric Kendricks ~ Los Angeles Bruins ~ 6003/231

Hauoli Kikaha Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

Bandit ~ Hauoli Kikaha ~ Washington Huskies 6024/252

Eli Harold Scouting Report ~ 2015 NFL Draft

Bandit ~ Eli Harold ~ Virginia Cavaliers 6030/246

Categories

Archives

MidFielder ~ Stephone Anthony ~ Clemson Tigers ~ 6025/243

Bandit ~ Benardrick McKinney ~ Mississippi State BullDogs ~ 6040/246

MidFielder ~ Eric Kendricks ~ Los Angeles Bruins ~ 6003/231