2017 NFL Draft Prospects

[DKphin]

FS Fish Smithson Kansas 5'10"201

[video=youtube;pH8fmf1-y4w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH8fmf1-y4w[/video]

Pro-Day Results:
Height:5'10"
Weight: 201
40 Yrd Dash: 4.55
20 Yrd Dash: 2.57
10 Yrd Dash: 1.59
Bench: 17
Vertical Jump: 36 1/2
Broad Jump: 09'04"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.37
3-Cone Drill: 7.12

Strengths Plays with above average football instincts and field awareness. Good pattern recognition from two-high and single-high coverage and adjusts his coverage with haste. Quick to recognize play-action and sink into his coverage territory. Has experience covering slot. Used instincts and ball skils to defend 10-of-18 targets this season, including four interceptions. Races downhill from safety spot to jump into a contain position against the run. Shows no hesitation to plug into run fits and stick his nose in. Has potential to operate as combo safety.
Weaknesses Undersized for his work in the box. Tackling inconsistencies are troubling. Flat-footed tackler who takes force rather than dealing it. Has had a substantial amount of missed and broken tackles over last two seasons. Lacks the twitch to make sudden adjustments in space. Athletic limitations prevent him from making some of the plays his eyes unveil. Unable to carry speed down the field or stick with crossing routes in man.
Bottom Line Smithson is a little smaller and a little slower than teams might like at the safety spot, but his instincts and overall football intelligence make up for some of his physical limitations. With six interceptions over the last two seasons, Smithson has shown that he has the ball skills to pair with his instinctive nature, but his issues finishing tackles will not be taken lightly by NFL teams. Smithson has NFL backup potential.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/fish-smithson?id=2558079

 

[DKphin]

CB Rasul Douglas West Virginia 6-2 209

[video=youtube;Ow2cu1_PwE0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow2cu1_PwE0[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'2"
Weight:209
Arm:32 3/8
Hand:9 1/4
40 Yard Official:4.59
Bench:16
Vertical:33.5
Broad:120
3-Cone:6.97
S. Shuttle:4.26
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Tall, sporting an angular frame with good overall length. Very aware from zone coverage. Will roll out of his coverage area and overlap in order to make a play. Reads quarterbacks drops and will break early to race ahead of slants and make a play on the throw. Finisher when the ball is there to be had and flashed ball skills of a pro. Plays with strong hands. Able to go up high and win the 50-50 balls and needs very little time to have hands interception-ready. Good recognition of route combinations and will shift from pattern to pattern. Not a physical tackler but gets guys down. Length allows him to catch stray running backs breaking contain.
Weaknesses Tall corner who plays upright in his pedal, which affects his balance and transition quickness. Very average in his pattern matching and has below average closing burst to the ball. Won't be able to match quick-footed receivers from press coverage. Athletic and coverage limitations could limit his scheme fits. Doesn't have the downfield juice to stick with burners on go routes. Makeup speed is below average. Inconsistent hitter who may lack necessary aggressiveness as tackler to project to safety. Defaults to arm tackles.
NFL Comparison Daryl Worley
Bottom Line Douglas has rare size for the position and his 2016 interception total will add to the level of intrigue for NFL teams. There is no doubting Douglas' ability to make plays on the ball when he's in position, but his lack of long speed and closing burst could make his big senior season an anomaly. Douglas is a zone corner with press and trail ability but needs to run a reasonable time at the combine to solidify his draft slotting.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/rasul-douglas?id=2558168

 

[DKphin]

QB Alek Torgersen Pennsylvania 6-2 218

[video=youtube;kgO5CtQ2_4Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgO5CtQ2_4Q[/video]

[video=youtube;xpIaxQcL0AY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpIaxQcL0AY[/video]

Pro-Day Results:
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 218
40 Yrd Dash: 4.91
20 Yrd Dash: 2.75
10 Yrd Dash: 1.72
Bench:
Vertical Jump: 30
Broad Jump:117
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.68
3-Cone Drill: 7.75

Strengths Three-year starter with fit build and NFL size. Athletic with success in zone-read. Dug into the film after sophomore season with desire to become smarter quarterback and showed drastic reduction of interceptions over next two years. Keeps ball tucked high and tight pre-delivery. Has big, strong hands to pump and reload if he spies late trouble. Ball comes out of his hand with tight spiral and good velocity. Gets it out quick if pressure flashes suddenly. Throws with touch on deep balls. Naturally accurate and throws with confidence between the hashes.
Weaknesses Lacks experience in pro-style attack. Checks are called from the sideline. Offense filled with one-and-done reads. Has to break habit of staring targets down. Wasn't asked to be a full-field reader. Will have to play faster to adjust to shrinking NFL throwing windows. Will hang onto the ball a tick too long on rollouts. Inconsistent release. At times, his release with become elongated and with a pronounced dip in it. Reads could be inconsistent against zone.
NFL Comparison Zac Dysert
Bottom Line Developmental quarterback with NFL size and a good head on his shoulders. Torgersen's success came against a much lower level of competition, but it is worth noting that his accuracy and arm strength will also benefit his growth when he's throwing to NFL-caliber targets. Torgersen's traits make him a late round stash-and-hide prospect with practice squad potential early, but he could see his draft stock rise if he has a big offseason.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/alek-torgersen?id=2558072

 

[DKphin]

RB Jamaal Williams Brigham Young 6-0 212

[video=youtube;9vjhE3dBe9c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vjhE3dBe9c[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'0"
Weight:212
Arm:31 1/4
Hand:10
40 Yard Official:4.59
Bench:
Vertical:30
Broad:123
3-Cone:7.25
S. Shuttle:4.53
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Carries NFL size with a muscular build and good height. Able to bend at point of impact and attack with decent leverage. Uses his stiff arm as a weapon to escape tackles on an angle. Decisive runner. Sees it and goes. Not into dancing. Has a functional spin move he uses to spin out of tackles and grind out a few extra yards. Keeps his feet churning through contact. Above average ball security with a fumble rate of 140 (one fumble every 140 carries).
Weaknesses Bulls through running lanes crashing into blockers rather than shifting with the contours. Doesn't have athleticism to create early yardage for himself. Missing a functional jump cut for sudden shift from gap to gap once line of scrimmage muddies. Hit or miss with run lanes he chooses. Excessive forward lean creates issues with contact balance. Too easily felled by arm tackles. Banger, but not a tackle breaker. Doesn't have the speed to turn the corner when runs spill outside.
Sources Tell Us "He's not very dynamic as a runner so he needs to carve out a niche for himself as a physical backup who can go cover on kickoffs. He hasn't been a special teams guy but he better start." - AFC West regional scout
NFL Comparison Stepfan Taylor
Bottom Line His NFL size and physical nature give him a shot to make the back-end of the running back depth chart, but his inability to create for himself with broken tackles and elusiveness puts a ceiling on his draft value.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/jamaal-williams?id=2558204

 

[DKphin]

WR Carlos Henderson Louisiana Tech 5-11 199

[video=youtube;88-ARED1COE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88-ARED1COE[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:5'11"
Weight:199
Arm:31 3/8
Hand:9 1/8
40 Yard Official:4.46
Bench:13
Vertical:36
Broad:131
3-Cone:7.18
S. Shuttle:4.35
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Drops hips into breaks for sharp stop-and-open. Maintains play speed through directional route changes. Can elevate catch focus when he knows safety is coming to deliver a blow. Flashes get-away gear used to climb over top of cornerbacks on vertical routes. Sells double moves and leaves defenders trailing. Decent job of shielding throws from traffic when working inside the numbers. Hands catcher and can dip to adjust to low throws. Extremely competitive runner after the catch. Plays bigger than his listed size. Can slip first tackle and power through the second. Downhill kick returner with ability to find lanes for himself when necessary. Posted two kick return touchdowns this season and three for his career.
Weaknesses Short strider. Competition across from him was below average. Rarely challenged by competitive press. Play speed is inconsistent. Has quality top gear but doesn't always use it in his routes. Needs to do better job of tilting defenders with quality route work on next level. Too reliant upon speed and talent over fundamentals at this point. Ran simple routes and drew quarterback's ire when he made wrong reads on choices. Tight hipped and average at changing direction. Below average ball tracking on deep throws. Occasionally mistimes leaps. Waits on throws rather than working back to them. Focus drop come primarily on slants.
Sources Tell Us "He plays with good route strength and speed and he has good hands. His return value should lock him into a team. I think he will come in as a fourth receiver, but he could have upped his draft value with another year at school." -- NFC South regional scout
NFL Comparison Quinton Patton
Bottom Line One-year superstar who delivered monster numbers at Louisiana Tech this year before leaving school early. Plays outside for the Bulldogs, but a little smaller than most teams will like. Henderson excels on catch-and-go throws and nine routes. He lacks the route running to come in and be an effective threat right away, but his kick return ability could get him early work.

www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/carlos-henderson?id=2558003

 

[DKphin]

TE Jonnu Smith Florida International 6-3 248

[video=youtube;nA2bCEmQ5TE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA2bCEmQ5TE[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'3"
Weight:248
Arm:32 7/8
Hand:9 1/4
40 Yard Official:4.62
Bench:22
Vertical:38
Broad:127
3-Cone:
S. Shuttle:4.18
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Plays with urgency and looks to squeeze the most out of each play. Flashes an electric burst up the field and into his routes. Seam buster with ability to race over top of the linebacker and into a throwing window quickly. Plays fast. Talented, competitive runner after the catch. Mashes the gas and can run away from linebackers. Loose hips with slick lateral side step after the catch. Has ability to work on all three levels. Competitive high school weight lifter with good functional strength as a blocker. Shows willingness to handle the heavy lifting as zone scheme blocker. Uses good angles and timing in his combination blocks.
Weaknesses Body catcher who doesn't trust his own hands. Has dropped 10 passes over the last two seasons with too many double catches. Needs to do a better job of helping his QB by working to the ball and shielding. Gets grinded on by redirects out of his release into routes. Needs to learn how to adjust routes or disengage earlier. Not a convincing route runner and just kind of goes through the motion rather than selling fakes. Undersized for an in-line option. Frame may not be able to carry additional weight.
NFL Comparison Delanie Walker
Bottom Line Athletic tight end with four years of pass-catching production and experience as an in-line blocker. Smith is electric after the catch and has the speed to attack all three levels of the field, but his inconsistent hands could hold him back. Smith's lack of size will likely push him into a "move tight end" role, but he's a more effective blocker in the zone game than many who have been asked to do it on the pro level.

www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/jonnu-smith?id=2558207

 

[RichmondWeb]

More on Zach Cunningham:

[video=youtube;-381QLR8nmM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-381QLR8nmM[/video]

RW

 

[Sons Of Shula]

More on Zach Cunningham:

[video=youtube;-381QLR8nmM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-381QLR8nmM[/video]

RW

Jesus, even his "highlights" showcase his poor tackling form. This Kollman character is a horrible scout, especially here in trying to diagnose proper tackling technique. Cunningham has a lot going for him but his weak contact, lack of follow thru and play strength in tackling is absolutely not one of them.

Doesn't square up resulting in a poor base upon contact. Doesn't accelerate his feet nor keep them quick and tight as he too often leaves his feet resulting in dead legs. Doesn't rip up thru the armpit of the ballcarrier. Hits too high which doesn't allow him to explode thru the ballcarrier and uncoil his hips. Doesn't rip up thru the armpits nor grab cloth. He's a textbook bad example of an arm tackler.

 

[DKphin]

Jesus, even his "highlights" showcase his poor tackling form. This Kollman character is a horrible scout, especially here in trying to diagnose proper tackling technique. Cunningham has a lot going for him but his weak contact, lack of follow thru and play strength in tackling is absolutely not one of them.

Doesn't square up resulting in a poor base upon contact. Doesn't accelerate his feet nor keep them quick and tight as he too often leaves his feet resulting in dead legs. Doesn't rip up thru the armpit of the ballcarrier. Hits too high which doesn't allow him to explode thru the ballcarrier and uncoil his hips. Doesn't rip up thru the armpits nor grab cloth. He's a textbook bad example of an arm tackler.

But we can coach him up:hsmash:

 

[DKphin]

OC Cameron Tom Southern Mississippi 6-3 291

[video=youtube;lNJL-B4IZzo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNJL-B4IZzo[/video]

Stats:
Height:6'3"
Weight:291
40 Yard Official:5.17

Strengths Full-time, three-year starter. Has good lower body thickness. Patient blocker up to the second level. Climbs with a wide base trying maximize his ability to get a piece of darting linebackers. Takes quality angles to his blocks. Tries to sink and get as much bend and torque into his initial contact. Strikes with upward punch and is able to extends arms for more control. Able to withstand bull rush attempts and anchor down in pass pro.
Weaknesses Straight-legged with narrow base into angle blocks. Inconsistent working feet and hips into position to secure his move blocks. Plays with below average balance in space and through contact. Needs to add more mass and improve his core strength. Slow to adjust assignments when needed. Snap to step quickness is off. Poor reactions and awareness at times against twists.
Bottom Line Tom looks bigger than his listed weight, so it will be interesting to see where he measures at the Shrine Game and combine. Tom has good arm length and decent anchor, but he's a very average run blocker who will need more technique work to lock in a roster spot.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/cameron-tom?id=2558074

Four year starter. Ended his career with 47 consecutive starts and two straight 1st Team All Conference USA honors. Tom is very active pre-snap, making all the calls and putting everything in to place. He is smart, experienced, and plays bigger than he looks. With his frame, he could easily add the required bulk to hold ground against NFL defensive tackles in time. Would excel in zone blocking scheme.

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/player/cameron-tom/100705

2016 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM (COACHES): OL - Cameron Tom, Sr., Southern Miss,...Tom earned his second consecutive C-USA first-team honor on the offensive line by leading the offense to a hefty 472.1 yards per game and has started in a current team-best 47-straight games. After earning honorable mention accolades a season ago.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=129946&draftyear=2017&genpos=C

 

[LouPhinFan]

OLB Devonte Fields Louisville 6-2 236

[video=youtube;BmE4mOwYN9g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmE4mOwYN9g[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'2"
Weight:236
Arm:32 3/8
Hand:9
40 Yard Official:4.72
Bench:
Vertical:34
Broad:124
3-Cone:7.40
S. Shuttle:4.50
60 Yard Shuttle:

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/devonte-fields?id=2557893

He came here from Jr college so out of shape that he puked after warmups in his first practice in a Louisville uniform. Yes, that's right, after WARM UPS. That's why he wasn't a contributor until half way through his first season here. Last season he was nonexistent for large chunks of games. He only had 1 or 2 sacks against top 25 teams during his time here.

I'd take a flyer on him in the 6th or 7th, but that's about it.

 

[DKphin]

OT Julie'n Davenport Bucknell 6-7 318

[video=youtube;pi1UzckKRTY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1UzckKRTY[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'7"
Weight:318
Arm:36 1/2
Hand:10 1/2
40 Yard Official:5.45
Bench:18
Vertical:27
Broad:106
3-Cone:7.57
S. Shuttle:4.69
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Possesses elite arm length and hand size for the position. Can unravel his arms and stick them into the chest of a frustrated edge rusher. Able to gain necessary ground to race to the edge over first two kick slides. Keeps head back and out of pass sets when he punches. Team leader and two-year captain. Good strength in hands to snatch and secure the frame of defenders. Has adequate athleticism to reach and hook the edge. Able to get out in space as pulling tackle or on screens. Has moldable physical traits to work with.
Weaknesses Competition level won't have him prepared for NFL rushers. Feet are a little heavy. Struggles to redirect back inside against stunts. Plays with inconsistent base width and balance. Will allow secure blocks to slip out of the side door due to poor footwork. Leans into run blocks rather than running feet under him. Has to keep his feet alive and moving after initial contact. Hand approach and placement is spotty. Loses base on lateral work due to tall pad level and uneven weight dispersal.
NFL Comparison LaAdrian Waddle
Bottom Line Raw tackle lacking in technique but long on physical traits. Has been able to dominate against lower level of competition and his step up in competition during pre-draft workouts will either throw a wet blanket over his draft grade or send his stock soaring. Despite a lack of technique, his traits will have teams willing to draft and wait for him as a project. He will be a work in progress and might be forced to move to the right side.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/julien-davenport?id=2557963

 

[DKphin]

DT Nazair Jones North Carolina 6-5 304

Sorry, could not find any game film
[video=youtube;XPfUq1_D4HY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPfUq1_D4HY[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'5"
Weight:304
Arm:34 5/8
Hand:10 7/8
40 Yard Official:5.11
Bench:
Vertical:24.5
Broad:101
3-Cone:7.93
S. Shuttle:4.63
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Has good size with long arms and thick lower half. Play strength is above average. Likes to iniate the contact at point of attack. Initial punch has some shock behind it and he has the power to press defenders off of his chest and keep them at the end of his length. Hand placement generally sound. Can beat one-on-one blocks. Has ability to set the edge and man both gaps. Good twitch in his shed to disengage and make the tackle. Above average tackle production for interior. Rarely beaten soundly by a base block. Shows some control at point of attack.
Weaknesses Instincts and awareness are below average. Can be slow to find the football. Fooled by misdirection, play-action and screen passes. Lacks feel for flow of the play causing him to play behind the blocks rather than racing in front of them. Lacks feet to recover past a reach block. Needs to operate with more width in his base for balance consistency. Below average change of direction. Plows head-first into pass protection. Doesn't have much of a rush plan and is still looking for a competent counter move. Plays with some stiffness in lower half which affects pad level.
Sources Tell Us "He's a strong guy and I think he might become a better player in the pros than people might think. He's not going to make a bunch of plays but I like his physicality." -- NFC area scout
NFL Comparison Joel Heath
Bottom Line Phone booth defender who has good length and the power to fight for control at the point of attack. Jones' strength is his ability to play the run and he could be a physical fit for 3-4 teams looking to add a run defender to their linemen corps. His inability to get the quarterback will cap his draft slotting but he does have pro potential.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/nazair-jones?id=2557964

 

[DKphin]

DE Daeshon Hall Texas A&M 6-5 266

[video=youtube;U05ZCwu88oU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U05ZCwu88oU[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:6'5"
Weight:266
Arm:35 5/8
Hand:9 5/8
40 Yard Official:4.76
Bench:18
Vertical:36
Broad:123
3-Cone:7.03
S. Shuttle:4.38
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Has experience at wide-9, 5-technique and as an outside linebacker. Frame filled out at a rapid rate over last few seasons at A&M. Coaches believe he can add and sustain even more muscle. Has length and average quickness to dart into gaps and breach the flow of the play. Has tools to become better edge setter with more strength. One year of defensive line play makes him moldable for NFL coaches. Has decent bend-and-rip rush move. Has shown ability to get skinny and wedge between double-team blocks. Flexible upper body along with coordinated work between hands and feet suggest future improvements as interior rusher. Effort player who hustles his way into tackles.
Weaknesses Still learning to play lower and drop anchor at the point of attack. Will get bounced around and widened out of the gap by size. Needs weight work to supplement average contact balance. Washed down by redirect blocks too easily. Needs to become more commanding and authoritative with his hands. Pad level too high and too welcoming for opposing blockers. Appears to have lost a little foot quickness with addition of weight over final two college seasons. Needs to prove he has toughness to play as a 3-4 defensive end.
Sources Tell Us "Daeshon Hall is a name that is going to get hot. I didn't think he had starting potential when he was an outside 'backer. Now that he's bigger and stronger and playing with his hand down, I think he's a different player. I see him as a second-day (Rounds 2-3) guy." -- AFC scout
NFL Comparison Jason Jones
Bottom Line Possesses the physical traits, versatility and effort to become an intriguing Day 2 selection, but teams might have to wait on Hall as he is still learning to play with a hand on the ground and needs to continue adding mass to his frame. Hall is nothing special as an edge rusher but has the talent to become an interesting interior rusher as a 3-4 defensive end. If he has enough ruggedness to handle full-time work in the trenches, he could become an eventual starter. The arrow is pointed up, but overdrafting the traits could prove to be a mistake.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/daeshon-hall?id=2557842

 

[DKphin]

ILB Blair Brown Ohio 5-11 238

[video=youtube;qEt1mxYQ37g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEt1mxYQ37g[/video]

[video=youtube;k-1pLYhUc-o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-1pLYhUc-o[/video]

Combine Results:
Height:5'11"
Weight:238
Arm:31 1/4
Hand:9 3/8
40 Yard Official:4.65
Bench:
Vertical:37
Broad:124
3-Cone:6.92
S. Shuttle:4.18
60 Yard Shuttle:

Strengths Downhill linebacker always looking to make plays in the opponent's living room. Very instinctive. Key reader who trusts his eyes and is quick to pull the trigger and rocket into gaps if he sees an opening. Generally plays ahead of blocks. Possesses an urgent, physical mindset. Extremely efficient tackle finisher who very rarely lets one get away. Quick to find football on play action and at the mesh point of zone reads. Plays with little hesitation. Sniffs out screens almost immediately. Scrapes with square pads and a controlled, balanced slide. Has good play strength and attacks iso-blocks with leverage. Good short-area burst to close out running backs. Can drop into space and shows the ability to drag running backs on swing routes.
Weaknesses Has short arms and lacks desired length at the position. Needs to improve his hand usage rather than always taking on blocks with his shoulder. Can get stuck to blocks once a long-armed tackle gets into him. May not have the pure speed to recover to the perimeter if he takes a bad angle against the run. Lacks slightly in change of direction fluidity. May have issues handling man coverage on the next level. Can be too relaxed when dropping into space. Has had no passes defensed over the last two seasons.
NFL Comparison Gary Brackett
Bottom Line Brown isn't going to check off the "physical traits" boxes for teams who always prioritize height-length-speed at linebacker, but he gets a big check mark in the "find ball, get ball" box. He's instinctive and has the play strength and leverage to fight through blocks and make his way into tackling position. Despite just one season of high-end tackle production, he has the anticipation, athleticism and toughness to make a roster and eventually challenge for playing time.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/blair-brown?id=2558241