2019 Nfl Draft Prospects

The production jumps off the stat sheet. Love had the tough assignment of taking over the position from Christian McCaffrey, one of the most productive running backs in NCAA history. While he wasn't nearly as prolific in the passing game, he rushed for more yards than McCaffrey ever did in a single season. Love set an FBS record with 13 runs of 50 yards or more last fall. That is incredible.

From a skill-set standpoint, I came away very impressed with his vision, decisiveness and balance. He also runs much bigger than his size, powering through tacklers at the line of scrimmage and finishing every run. He has the ability to make defenders miss at the second and third level without gearing down. That is what leads to many of his long runs.

Where he needs to improve: Love needs to become more polished in the passing game. He has limited catch production (29 in his career) and he will fight the ball on occasion. I believe he will become more comfortable as a receiver with added opportunities. His biggest issue is in pass protection. His lack of size shows up in this area, as he struggles to anchor down vs. blitzing linebackers. I love his awareness and courage, but he needs to do a better job of quickly closing the distance and running his feet once he makes contact.

Biggest takeaway: I think Love made the right decision to return to school. The 2018 running back class was loaded, and, as I mentioned, he still had some areas of his game to clean up. I'm sure head coach David Shaw will find ways to get him more involved as a receiver and I expect him to make big gains in pass protection, as well. Former Georgia RBs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb both benefited from returning to school for their senior season and I believe Bryce Love will, too.

He reminds me of: As a runner, he reminds me of Jacquizz Rodgers when he was coming out of Oregon State. Both guys lack ideal measurables, but they have natural instincts, toughness and a ton of production. Love has a little more top speed than Rodgers, but they both possess outstanding quickness. I don't see Love becoming a heavy-workload back at the next level, but he should have a long, successful NFL career as a complementary back.

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DKphin said:

QB Ryan Finley N.C. St. 6.4" 205lbs.




http://www.draftblaster.com/2019-nfl-draft/ryan-finley-qb-nc-state/

http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2019rfinley.php

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mrbunglez said:

I want Bosa, Q. Williams, or D. White on this team. Either one of those 3 and I’ll be a happy camper.

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Skill-Set Summary: In the passing-driven NFL, teams are always looking for potential No.1 receivers who can provide big plays for their offenses. The 2018 NFL Draft had only two first-round wide receivers, with zero selected in the top-20. So there is a strong possibility that there will be a real demand for No. 1 wideouts in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown could be one of the top receiver prospects because he has a good skill set and is a play-maker with the ball in his hands.

What really sets Brown apart is what he can do as a possessional receiver. He is a quick wideout who is not a burner with rare speed, but he makes up for it with polish and physicality. Brown is very dangerous with the ball in his hands. He uses his well-built frame to break tackles and is very difficult for a lot of defensive backs to get on the ground. His strength to run through defenders' hands makes it difficult for them to get a hold of him. While he isn't super elusive and is more straight line, Brown does have the feet to dodge some tacklers in the open field. For the NFL, Brown has tremendous yards-after-the-catch potential, and he could be a great fit in a west coast offense.

With his strength and ability to catch the ball in traffic, Brown is a nice weapon in the red zone. He tracks the ball well while using late hands to make the reception. He also flashes his size and strength to make contested catches, which is important for the next level. As a pro, Brown is going to have to win on contested jump balls, so showing the ability to get the better of defensive backs on those plays is important for him as a junior. That and showing speed to separate are critical for him.

Brown does not have an elite No. 1 receiver skill set like A.J. Green, Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson. However, Brown could be a potential No. 1 receiver or a very good No. 2 wide out. Thus, he may be a receiver who ends up having a draft range from the mid-first round to the second day of the draft. That breadth is similar to SMU's Courtland Sutton, who was a second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2018 NFL Draft

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Noah Fant is of the most freakish athletes in all of college football. Reported 42.5” vertical from spring camp, which would be a top score out of the 2018 NFL Combine. Has unbelievable blend of size and speed, graceful in the open field and will be a mismatch nightmare for safeties and linebackers across the league. Has big play ability as a receiver, averaging 16.5 yards per catch and tallying 11 touchdowns on just 30 overall receptions as a first-time starter in 2017. First step quickness as a blocker wins angles to gain favorable positioning at the point of attack, plus good urgency and effort to continue to press and turn out edge defenders in the run game. Has had success as a zone blocker to ride out defenders and rework hands to continue to gain leverage relative to the ball carrier. Dynamic seam threat with size and catch radius in the middle of the field to elevate overtop of chasing defenders and take the football off the top of defender’s helmet. Will be a red zone terror thanks to versatile alignment and ability to create mismatches before the snap. Already runs a versatile tree, has created separation vertically, carrying across the middle of the field or working into the flat before turning eyes up the field.


CONS: Lean cut frame can be limiting if tasked with playing in-line with regularity. Plays with a loose base as a blocker and failure to tether feet to the ground has restricted functional play strength when having to lock horns head up with defenders. Shouldn’t be considered a viable option as a pass protector, versatility and athleticism would be wasted if kept in the backfield.

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Hand Usage/Strikes

WORST TRAIT – Zone Blocking

RED FLAGS – None

I’ve watched a good bit of Lindstrom tape over the past two years, and there really isn’t much to dislike. He has no major flaws in his game, is extremely consistent in his approach and has the experience needed to make an easy transition to the NFL. Few guards offer his combination of size, movement skills and technique, as Lindstrom rarely loses any 1v1 battles and consistently creates movement in the run game. He may not be an elite prospect, but Lindstrom looks like an immediate starter with enough scheme versatility to work for almost any NFL team.

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Oliver is an impactful interior pass-rusher with rare ability to harass the quarterback as an inside rusher. His pass-rush potential is very hard to find, and it should make him a beloved prospect across the scouting community. Oliver is extremely fast at the point off attack. He explodes out of his stance and immediately penetrates into the backfield. On top of his speed and tremendous pad level, Oliver has active hands to slap away blockers' hands. Oliver can bend and has the agility to redirect to the quarterback. Oliver possesses rare explosive speed off the ball and constantly lives in the backfield.

It is common to say that a defensive tackle has a burst to close or gets upfield quickly, but it is very rare to say that a defensive tackle has excellent pursuit skills. Oliver, however, is that rare kind of defender with the way he flies to the ball. Oliver has a relentless style of play to chase down ball-carriers away from the tackle box, and his rare speed allows him to make plays that others can only dream about. Of course, Oliver has superb closing speed given his explosiveness off the snap. He also has good instincts and recognition skills that put him in position to make a lot of plays. His intelligence and instincts also lead to him batting a lot of passes for a defensive tackle.

Oliver plays hard as a run defender. He is at his best when he is firing into the backfield to blow up runs behind the line of scrimmage. His tackles for a loss total is no fluke. The problems that Oliver has in the ground game is being undersized and holding up against downhill runs coming straight at him. He does not have a strong lateral anchor and can get covered up in the ground game. Oliver's lateral anchor is going to be problematic in the NFL, and he should not be played as a nose tackle. Double teams also can give him problems.

Sources say that, as a junior, Oliver was weighing in at 275 pounds and has played as heavy as 282. The Houston staff thinks that 285-290 pounds is too heavy for Oliver. Thus for the NFL, he is vastly undersized and really is the size of a defensive tackle designated pass-rusher - DPR. In speaking to team contacts, they feel the scheme limitations are something that has to be considered with Oliver.

"My issues are; one, it is scheme specific that he has to go to the right team and [be] used in a particular way," said an area scout. "If he were to go to a 3-4 scheme with two awesome ends like Pittsburgh with [Cameron] Heyward on one side and [Stephon] Tuitt on the other, that could work because it would allow him to get off. Or Houston between Watt and Clowney, but that is a tough situation to find.

I graded Oliver as a late [first-rounder,] but I think someone will take him in the [middle of Round 1]. I would bet a paycheck that he does not go No. 1 overall. There is no way. There are too many potential issues."

In speaking to some other team sources, they agreed about Oliver not going at the top of the first round. The range from surveyed sources was the middle of the top 10 to the middle of the first round. Still, they all were enthusiastic about Oliver's NFL potential and thought he was worthy of going in Round 1.




Player Comparison: Dominique Easley. The media has jumped all over themselves comparing Oliver to Aaron Donald, but team sources think that comparison is flawed. Sources say that Oliver is not Donald, and that such a comparison is off because Oliver doesn't have nearly the same strength as Donald. Donald has great strength, while Oliver lacks it. Sources say Oliver is a lot lighter than Donald and, as a result, they are different players.

"He is not the same guy as Donald," said one source. "He is more comparable to a Dominique Easley. [Oliver is] disruptive, twitchy, and can do a lot of positive things, so that is why people are eager to compare him to Donald, because they both have surprising speed. But Oliver is not Donald. Donald is extremely strong, and you could see that at the Senior Bowl when he was tossing guys around. Oliver has issues with mass and problems with double teams that Donald does not. [Oliver's] lateral anchor is a problem."

Easley was an explosive and undersized defensive tackle coming out of Florida. Off-the-field issues have held him back in his career, but entering the NFL, Easley (6-2, 270) was a fast interior rusher with excellent athleticism but a lack of size. Oliver has similar size and a similar skill set to Easley.

NFL Matches: Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, Buffalo, Miami, Indianapolis, Minnesota

Entering the final quarter of the season, the draft order is not set yet, so it can be harder to project matchups for prospects. Check back in the months to come as this scouting report will be updated with measurements, final stats, info from team sources, and more NFL matches once the draft order is set along with team needs changing because of free agency. Thus, the teams listed here are more of a broad swath of potential matchups.

Interior pass-rushers are hard to find, so there should be a lot of teams hoping to land Oliver. Cleveland would be a perfect fit for him. His speed and athleticism at three-technique would be dynamic next to Myles Garrett. The Browns are in need of an interior pass-rusher, and Oliver would fit what they need in Gregg Williams' scheme.

Detroit needs a three-technique disruptive pass-rusher, so Oliver could interest the organization in the first round. Atlanta needs more talent on its defensive line and could consider Oliver to go with Grady Jarrett, although that would be an undersized front.

In the AFC East, the Bills could use a young interior disruptor for their scheme, and Kyle Williams is nearing the end of his great career. Miami needs to replace Ndamukong Such, and Oliver could form a nice tandem with Charles Harris.

The Colts have switched to a 4-3 defense under their new coaching staff and could use a three-technique penetrator. Oliver could be a good fit in Indianapolis. Minnesota also could consider a three-technique because Sharrif Floyd was forced into early retirement and Sheldon Richardson was only signed to a 1-year contract.

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In the passing-driven NFL, edge defenders who can get after the quarterback are always in demand. With his size, speed, athleticism and strength, Ferrell has an excellent skill set to be an impactful defensive end with double-digit-sack potential as a pro. In two seasons at Clemson, Ferrell has illustrated that he has first-round talent and is a well-balanced player who is effective in both phases.

Ferrell is a sound run defender. He has enough size and strength to hold his ground and not get blown off the ball. When runs come straight at him, Ferrell has shown some ability to holds his ground, shed the block, and get in on the tackles. He has nice recognition skills and flows to the ball when runs don't come his direction. While Ferrell is not a dominant run defender, he is solid and contributes.

In the pass rush, Ferrell is a balanced pass-rusher. He has good first-step quickness that he uses to get upfield. Ferrell uses his functional upper body strength to fight off blocks, and he has an impressive left arm rip move to shed left tackles and get underneath them. Once he's free, Ferrell has a burst to close on the quarterback. At times, his speed rush is too fast for offensive tackles and he can burn them off the snap.

Ferrell is entering his redshirt junior season, and there are some areas of improvement for the young defender. It would be good to see Ferrell add more spin moves and rushes to the inside as a junior. Ferrell has some ability to dip and bend underneath blockers. However, he is not an elite bender with rare agility in that there is a little stiffness with him. For the NFL, it would help Ferrell to run the hoops drill and improve his ability to sink his hips.

For the pro game, Ferrell possesses the versatility to fit a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. He has enough size and length to be a base end in a 4-3 defense, and he will probably get heavier with more weight on his frame as he ages. Ferrell also has enough athleticism to stand up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

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Skill-Set Summary: Last fall, Allen impressed sources at numerous teams and illustrated that he had pro potential with a lot of diversity to his game. Allen is versatile athlete who can help his defense in a variety of ways.

The first thing that stands out about Allen is that he is a dangerous edge rusher with natural feel and a nose for the quarterback. He is very fast off the edge, possessing a quick first-step and serious speed to run the loop around the corner. Allen has a nice ability to bend and quick feet to cut around blockers. Offensive tackles can really struggle to get their hands on him and lock him up. In the pass rush, Allen has a speed-based set of moves. He uses a spin move, speed around the corner, some speed to power, and rushes to the inside. He also is versatile to put his hand in the ground, stand up over the tackle, or blitz up the middle. On top of getting to the quarterback, Allen gets a lot of pressures while creating sacks for his teammates.

As a pro, Allen will probably need to develop his pass-coverage skills as he likely won't be a pass-rusher exclusively, given his body type and position. Allen is Kentucky's best pass-rusher, hence he doesn't have a lot of drop in coverage all the time. On plays that he has dropped back, Allen shows a nice ability to function in space, quality instincts, and fluid athleticism to cover. Allen has the skill set to cover with good speed, athleticism and length. In time, Allen could end up being an asset to cover receiving tight ends and backs out of the backfield.

Allen is a solid defender for the ground game as well. He has good instincts, reads his keys well, and consistently is around the ball. Allen uses his speed to chase down backs and flows quickly to the ball. He is fast to the perimeter and is a good tackler in space. For the NFL, Allen could stand to get better at taking on blocks from offensive linemen. Adding some strength to his frame will help in that.

Last fall in speaking to a NFC national scout, they compared Allen to Leonard Floyd coming out of Georgia with Allen's ability to rush off the edge. That scout said Allen isn't as freaky of an athlete as Floyd was, and Allen is not a top-10 pick, but he did grade Allen as a first-rounder.

Another director of college scouting said they had given Allen a high second-round grade for the 2018 NFL Draft, but thought Allen would end up going in the first round - Allen didn't declare though. That director said Allen was an interesting player because he also can play inside linebacker, whereas Floyd was just an outside edge defender. That college director also said that as an inside linebacker, Allen has similarities to current Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham in terms of his height, speed, length, and athleticism in the middle.

In the NFL, Allen would be a great fit as a 3-4 outside/inside linebacker. He also could fit as a 4-3 outside linebacker who rushes off the edge in the sub package. Allen's versatility and skill set should make him a sought after player in the 2019 NFL Draft.

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BEST TRAIT – Ball Skills

WORST TRAIT – Run Support

BEST FILM – Miami (2018)

WORST FILM – Alabama (2018)

RED FLAGS – None

Greedy Williams projects as a high impact player in the NFL, for better and for worse. Williams’ ball skills, length and speed will allow him a lot of challenges on the football. But Williams’ effort and lack of desire to play all phases of the position will impact his team as well, only in a negative light. Williams has Pro Bowl potential with a fire lit underneath his rear. He’s got the ability to be a starter fairly quickly, but team will have to be comfortable with the ups and downs…or eliminate them.

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