NFL Draft 2014 Preview (11 page)

Strengths:
Solid, compact built with good thickness through his lower body. Good vision and balance to pick and slide. Subtle lateral agility to pick, slide and accelerate. Reads his blocks and instinctively runs to daylight. Fluid gate and efficient movement. Runs competitively. Good hands to pull in throws off his body. Was productive with a heavy workload in a pro-style offense. Benchpressed 225 pounds 26 times and blazed a 4.0-second 20-yard shuttle time and 6.75-second 3-cone time.

Weaknesses:
Shows some hip tightness. Average explosion, finishing speed and elusiveness. Has shown he can be contained by good defenses. Needs to become a more dependable, physical, fundamentally sound pass protector. Can be tracked from behind and too often is grounded by single-tacklers or tripped up by the ankles. Is not a robust tackle-breaker.

Future:
The Pac-12’s leading rusher, Sankey is an instinctive, competitive and shifty, low-to-the-ground hard runner. Can be effective as a complementary zone runner capable of moving the chains and picking up chunk yards.

Draft projection:
Third- to fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I’ve gotten into some arguments about this one. I think Sankey is legit. My first impression was kind of vanilla. The more you start studying the kinetics and bend and run strength. He has some toughness in him. He is a compact, short, poor man’s Maurice Jones-Drew. He’s the same kind of back.”

RB lache seastrunk, #25 (JUNIOR)

baylor
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Grade: 5.28

Ht: 5-9 1/2 | Wt: 201 | 40: 4.51 | Arm: 30 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
First name is pronounced “Lake.” Ranked as a Top 5 overall prospect as a Texas prep after rushing for 4,217 yards and scoring 52 total touchdowns. Was also an accomplished track athlete, competing in the 100 meters (personal best 10.33 seconds) and the long jump (21-8). Began his career at Oregon in 2010, where he traveled but did not play and redshirted. It was later discovered that his advisor, Willie Lyles, accepted a $25,000 payment from Oregon after he signed his letter of intent. Oregon was placed on three years probation and lost some scholarships as a result of the NCAA investigation. Decided to transfer because he thought “something was about to go down” at Oregon and because of his grandparents bad health ended up at Baylor. Had to sit out the ’11 season due to NCAA transfer rules and lost a year of eligibility. Played in a game for the first time in three years in ’12 and was named the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. Carried the ball 131 times for 1,012 yards (7.7-yard average) and seven touchdowns in 13 games (six starts) after starting slowly — had only 181 yards after seven contest but amassed 831 yards in his final six contests. Grabbed nine passes for 107 yards (11.9) and one touchdown. Led the Big 12 with 107.0 yards per game in ’13 after recording 158-1,177-11 (7.4) on the ground in 11 games (eight starts). Suffered a groin injury against Oklahoma and missed the next two games (Texas Tech, Oklahoma State). Is the first player in Baylor history to top 1,000 yards rushing in multiple seasons. Five of his 19 touchdowns came on plays of longer than 68 yards.

Strengths:
Quick-footed and nifty with very good competitive speed to pull away in the open field. Deceptively fast. Keeps his feet churning on contact and can elude the first tackler and power through arm tackles. Runs low to the ground with good lower-body strength. Weaves through traffic and has a knack for hitting cutback lanes. Very good run balance to stop and start. Had the best vertical jump (411/2 inches) and broad jump (11’2’) of any back at the Combine.

Weaknesses:
Does not run big or keep his shoulders squared to the line. Will press and try to do too much — can improve patience and do a better job of letting his blocks develop. Very limited career receiving production. Played in an offense that featured big running lanes and helped inflate his production. Can be tracked down from behind. Beats to the tune of his own drum and can be susceptible to hanger-ons.

Future:
Good-sized, productive, zone runner with enough physical traits to warrant consideration as a complementary back. Benefited from an offense featuring a lot of fly sweeps and lateral runs that have not translated well to the NFL game. Overall character will require closer evaluation and can determine draft status.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He has the speed, but I don’t know how tough he is. I don’t know how explosive his speed is. He does not play big. I don’t think the offense translates well to the NFL game. Do you remember all the yards (Jets 2012 sixth-rounder) Terrance Ganaway had a few years ago? He’s out of the league now. The Lyles guy that got him in trouble at Oregon is still with him and is his manager. That scares me.”

RB charles sims, #5

west virginia
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Grade: 5.35

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 214 | Sp: 4.48 | Arm: 31 | Hand: 8 1/4

History:
Was a three-star recruit from Houston, who stayed home to play for the Cougars. The true freshman earned the Conference USA Freshman of the Year Award after rushing 132 times for 698 yards (5.3-yard average) and nine touchdowns to lead the squad in yards and touchdowns. Played in all 14 games (nine starts) and caught 70 passes for 759 yards (10.8) and one touchdown — fourth-leading receiver in Cougars high octane offense. Sat out the ’10 after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA but was allowed to redshirt. Returned to lead the team in rushing in ’11, producing 110-821-9 (7.5) on the ground and contributing 51-575-4 (11.3) as a receiver in 13 games (nine starts). Did not play against North Texas. Was named the team MVP in ’12 after tallying a team-high 142-851-11 (6.0) rushing and 37-373-3 (10.1) receiving in only nine starts. Dealt with leg injuries all year, missing the Tulsa and Tulane games (sprained right ankle) and UCLA (groin) in addition to sitting out the second half of three games. Graduated in May of ’13 with a health education degree and asked to be released from his scholarship but UH put a number of restrictions on his transfer — no Texas schools, no American Athletic Conference teams (former Big East) and no one on their ’13 schedule. Chose West Virginia over California and was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after racking up a team-high 208-1095-11 (5.7) on the ground and tied for team lead in receptions with 45-401-3 (8.9) in 12 starts. Ranked second in the conference with 1,549 all-purpose yards.

Strengths:
Quick-footed with first-step suddenness and short-area burst. Fluid and fast — accelerates in a hurry and shows speed to the edge. Explosive one-cut ability — understands how to get downhill. Loose lower body with nice ankle flexion to cut sharply. Flashes ability to spin off contact. Soft hands — catches easily away from his body (had 70 catches as a freshman and averaged more than 10 yards per catch for his career). Creates after the catch. Hardworking and leads by example.

Weaknesses:
Does not have an ideal build for the position and durability is a concern — is narrow with a relatively thin lower body. Needs to bulk up. Relatively tall running style. Can do a better job running behind his pads and converting speed to power. Shows some hip tightness. Average tackle breaker (too often grounded by single tacklers). Ran exclusively out of the pistol/shotgun formation. Has very tiny hands and carries loosely at times. Lacks elite, top-end “wow” speed. Blocking is a question mark. Will be a 24-year-old rookie.

Future:
Athletic, competitive, tough, upright slasher who is an asset as a receiver — hands rate among the best on a RB in recent years. Cannot project as a bellcow, but offers playmaking ability as part of a tandem in a zone scheme. Speed and durability could determine ultimate draft value.

Draft projection:
Third- to fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He’ll go in the fourth round probably. The only guys that push themselves up at the Combine with speed are the receivers and cornerbacks. Sims runs tall. He’s not a real good blocker. I’m not sure how good his hands are. He’s an adequate blocker. He doesn’t catch the ball very well. He is a no. 2 back. Those guys are a dime a dozen. Think of all the no. 2’s who were free agents or late-round picks. You can find them later in the draft.”

RB-FB JEROME SMITH, #45 (JUNIOR)

SYRACUSE
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Grade: 5.05

Ht: 5-11 1/8 | Wt: 220 | Sp: 4.84 | Arm: 30 7/8 | Hand: 9 3/4

History:
The Delaware prep saw action in two games in 2010 before surgery on his left shoulder (torn labrum) and receiving a medical redshirt. Returned in ’11 and saw action in all 12 games, carrying the ball 37 times for 134 yards (3.6) and one touchdown. Became the starter in ’12 and led the team in rushing yards after tallying 227-1,171-3 (5.2) in 13 games (12 starts) — only non-start was Stony Brook when the Orange went with three wide receivers. Set career highs in the Pinstripe Bowl vs. West Virginia with 152 yards on 29 carries. Made all 13 starts in ’13 and again led the team in rushing with 200-914-12 (4.6). Caught 17 career passes for 161 yards (9.5) and one touchdowns. Team captain and graduated in December.

Strengths:
Compact, muscular build. Functional vision and strength to pound between the tackles. Runs hard and finishes runs. Nice short-area burst. Enough lateral agility to slide away from penetration and bounce. Good leaping ability. Solid personal and football character. Tough and hardworking.

Weaknesses:
Average initial quickness. Pedestrian foot speed — pounds the ground and gets tracked down from behind. Tight hips. Gears down to cut. Limited elusiveness. Cannot create his own yardage. Used sparingly as a receiver — just 17 career receptions. Pass-protection technique needs work. Contained by average defenses.

Future:
Good-sized, downhill, monotone runner who left school with a year of eligibility remaining despite lacking exceptional athletic traits. Will have to earn his keep as an inside runner, though he faces an uphill battle to earn a spot as a reserve.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

RB lorenzo taliaferro, #15

coastal carolina
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Grade: 5.18

Ht: 6-0 1/4 | Wt: 229 | Sp: 4.58 | Arm: 32 | Hand: 8 3/8

History:
The Virginia prep rushed for 1,678 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. Spent two seasons at Lackawanna College (Scranton, Pa.), recording 19 carries for 96 yards (5.1-yard average) and one score and nine receptions for 68 yards (7.6) and one touchdown in 10 games in 2010; and 76-431-3 (5.7) rushing, 12-193-4 (16.1) receiving and 22-579-1 (26.3) as a kick returner in 10 contests in ’11. Moved to Coastal Carolina for the ’12 season and saw action in 12 games (three starts), logging 80-357-4 (4.5) on the ground and 4-38-0 (9.5) through the air. Missed the season opener against North Carolina A&T with an undisclosed injury. Had a monster ’13 campaign, earning Big South Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the conference in rushing and rushing touchdowns with 276-1,729-27 (6.3) while adding 23-153-2 (6.7) as a receiver in 15 starts. The Walter Payton Award finalist set 11 school records and five conference rushing marks. Team captain.

Strengths:
Outstanding size. Very good production. Is patient and follows his blocks. Finds creases and is adept navigating through traffic without losing speed — good eyes. Nice spin move. Competes hard. Strong short-yardage producer. Runs hard and usually falls forward. Catches outside his frame. Helps chip in pass protection and is alert to see the blitz. Good football intelligence and awareness.

Weaknesses:
Has very small hands. Limited speed and burst to the perimeter. Monotone runner who takes time to get rolling downhill. Much of his production is blocked for him. Plays in a spread offense where he is usually moving laterally at the snap and not stepping downhill. Stiff route runner. Regularly matched up against lesser competition.

Future:
A big, small-school producer with a solid all-around skill set to compete for a job as a role player in a zone scheme. Will need to contribute on special teams to earn a spot.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“I didn’t know a lot about him before the Senior Bowl. He showed me something. He got out there and competed. He’s well-built. I saw some toughness. You saw improvement as the week went along. He’s got a chance.”

RB-RS De’ANTHONY THOMAS, #6 (JUNIOR)

oregon
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Grade: 5.36

Ht: 5-8 5/8 | Wt: 174 | Sp: 4.44 | Arm: 29 7/8 | Hand: 8 1/8

History:
The five-star recruit out of Los Angeles was rated as the top athlete in the county as a prep. Rushed for 1,299 yards on only 114 carries (11.4-yard average) as a senior. Also starred in track, running the fastest 200 meters (20.61 seconds) in the country in the Spring of 2010. Burst onto the collegiate scene in ’11, earning Pac-12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a first-team Pac-12 kick returner. Saw action in all 14 games (six starts, including the last five), rushing 55 times for 595 yards (10.8-yard average) and seven scores while grabbing 46 passes for 605 yards (13.2) and nine touchdowns. Had a huge impact as a returner with 36 kick returns for 983 yards (27.3) including a 96-yard score against USC and a 93-yard touchdown vs. Washington State. Had only three punt returns for 52 yards (17.3). Was the only player in the nation with 400 or more yards as a rusher, receiver and kick returner. Continued his versatility in ’12, becoming the first Oregon player in 47 years to score a touchdown rushing, receiving, returning a punt and a kickoff in the same season in 13 games (nine starts). Was the team’s reception leader with 45-445-5 (9.0) while rushing 92-701-11 (7.6) and returning punts 13-222-1 (17.1) and kickoffs 16-389-1 (24.3), including a 94-yard KR touchdown in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State and a 73-yard PR against Colorado. Also anchored the 4x100-meter relay that advanced to the NCAA Championships for the Ducks track team. Began the ’13 campaign as the starting running back before injuring his left ankle on the opening kickoff against California and missing the next three games. Rushed 96-594-8 (6.2), grabbed 22-246-1 (11.2) while leading the team in kickoff returns with 21-513-1 (24.4) and an 86-yard touchdown against Utah in 10 games (five starts). Holds Oregon career records for kickoff return yards (1,885) and punt return average (17.1) .