College: Rising and declining draft prospects. Espn

[Polar Bear Jones]

Clemson duo among fast-rising prospects
December, 5, 2011
By Kevin Weidl
I had a chance to attend the ACC championship game between Clemson and Virginia Tech over the weekend -- watching the first half from the press box and the second from field level -- and a pair of Tigers prospects were particularly impressive.

The first is TE Dwayne Allen, who has an impressive build (6-foot-4½ , 255 pounds) when seen up-close. That build helps him Allen as an in-line blocker, where he is much-improved this season, and also allows him to make plays in the passing game.
He has the speed to get down the seam, can make things happen after the catch, and is a determined runner with the ball in his hands. On his first touchdown catch of the night, Allen caught the ball on the 8-yard line before shaking one Hokies defender then running over another on his way to the end zone. That's the kind of competitiveness NFL teams want to see.

Allen's size/speed combination make him a mismatch against linebackers and defensive backs alike, he has a wide catching radius, and he even lined up in the backfield at times against Virginia Tech. He's the most complete draft-eligible tight end in the nation right now, and he has the tools to be an immediate difference-maker in the NFL.

He's gotten his stock high into the second round, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him come off the board late in the first.

DE Andre Branch also stood out against Tech. Branch was part of an overall defensive line that exposed the Hokies' offensive line and caused havoc all night, and he was right in the middle of things with his first-step quickness and outstanding motor.

He can gain the edge off the snap with his quickness and shows the ability to bend back inside as a pass-rusher, and Branch also did a good job using his hands to stack the edge against the run before disengaging and getting to the ball. He played hard on every snap and chased plays to the whistle, and his energy on the sideline was contagious for his teammates. Branch has also solidified himself as a second-round prospect.

Stock Report
Now that college football's regular season is over, it's time to start taking a closer look at prospects around the country. Here are three others who have raised their stock considerably over the course of the season, and three who are sliding.

On the rise

South Carolina DE/OLB Melvin Ingram
We gave him a mid-round grade coming into the season, but Ingram put on a breakout performance over the last three months. He came up with 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks this season, thanks in larger part to his strength and balance. Ingram has good lateral agility for his size (6-2¼, 277), plays with leverage and shows good power/strength as a pass-rusher.

He's tailed off somewhat late in the season due to a foot injury, but he has a lot of good tape from this season. Ingram could come off the board late in the first round to a team looking for a versatile player who can be an undersized pass-rushing end in a four-man front or an outside linebacker in 3-4 alignments.

Baylor WR Kendall Wright
I evaluated Wright in the preseason and pegged him as a fifth-rounder because of inconsistent routes and dropped balls. His elite burst and top-end speed to eat up cushions were evident, but he wasn't quite there as a pass-catcher.

However, he's made some impressive over-the-shoulder catches this season and flashed the ability to adjust and make acrobatic grabs. Couple that with his explosiveness of the line and out of breaks -- and add in the fact that NFL teams are spreading the field more frequently these days -- and Wright brings a lot of value as a receiver who can stretch the field vertically from the slot. All that has moved him squarely into the second round.

Notre Dame S Harrison Smith
Smith did not get a full write-up coming into the season, but he's gone from off the radar to a possible Day 2 pick.

I saw him live against Pittsburgh and have studied plenty of tape, and Smith is always around the ball. He finished second on the team with 84 tackles, and while he did not record an interception this season he did have 10 pass breakups, and shows the instincts, awareness and enough fluidity to give him good range in coverage. Smith is also physical and aggressive in run support and can contribute on special teams, giving him good value on Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3) of the draft.

On the decline

West Virginia DE/OLB Bruce Irvin
Irvin came into the season with a lot of positive buzz (and a second-round grade) after piling up 14 sacks as a situational player in 2010, and that led to added attention from opposing offenses in the form of more double-teams and backs chipping him out of the backfield. His production is down this season (7.5 sacks) as a result, but more troubling is that he still has not become a full-time starter.

Much of that has to do with Irvin's limitations against the run. He has a long, narrow frame (6-3¼, 234) and struggles to anchor when setting the edge, and he's also not the kind of player you want dropping into coverage because of his lack of instincts. Some off-field character issues also affect his stock, and if Irvin can't be a three-down player in college you wonder what he can contribute at the next level. He looks like strictly a situational rusher who can be turned loose in obvious passing situations, and Irvin is in danger of falling out of the third round.



Florida State OT Andrew Datko
Concerns about a lackluster frame and questionable strength and toughness had already begun to affect Datko's second round grade before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in early October. Scouts wonder if he has the length to remain outside at tackle or the bulk and edge to move inside to guard, and his fits in the NFL will likely be limited to zone-blocking teams. Now that durability concerns are part of the equation, Datko has gone from a second-rounder to more of a mid-round prospect.



Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller
Another player with plenty of hype coming into the season, Fuller flashes the ability to go get the ball but also runs inconsistent routes, is tight out of breaks and drops his share of passes. He has a similar frame (6-3¾ , 217) to Notre Dame's Michael Floyd, but does not possess the same ball skills, and instead of cementing himself high in the second round Fuller has fallen into the third round.

[illmusic]

Datko sounds like Sam Baker lol

[cnasty]

(12-06-2011 02:47 PM)illmusic Wrote:  Datko sounds like Sam Baker lol

Literally took the words out of my mouth.

[Jayhawk-Falcon2012]

honestly why are we even talking about taking guys who have the injury history, c'mon now we've seen how it's turned out when we pick previously injured players. Next.

[Polar Bear Jones]

(12-06-2011 05:10 PM)Jayhawk-Falcon2012 Wrote:  honestly why are we even talking about taking guys who have the injury history, c'mon now we've seen how it's turned out when we pick previously injured players. Next.

My fault was just posting the article and bolded the wrong part.