2014 NFL DRAFT - RISERS and FALLERS or STUNNERS and BUMMERS - Week 5
RISERS and STUNNERS
1. Kyle Van Noy - OLB 6-3 235 Sr. - BYU
Although playing against an unranked Middle Tennessee team, Van Noy’s performance was once again outstanding and this selection is a cumulative pick. Going back to his Defensive MVP award in BYU's bowl game from last season, but excepting his admitted below standard first game of this year against Virginia, then resuming his outstanding performances against Texas, Utah and now Middle Tennessee, Van Noy makes plays in spectacular fashion such as using a bear crawl to submarine into the backfield and upend short yardage plays. His explosive quickness and playmaking ability are so disruptive to offenses that they must take into account his whereabouts on every play.
2. Chandler Jones - WR 5-11 174 Sr. - San Jose State
With QB David Fales’ primary receiver, Noel Grigsby, out with an injury, Jones is making the most of his opportunity. This too is a cumulative selection as I first noticed Jones in the game against Minnesota where he had seven receptions for 197 yards and three TDs, including a 76 yard over the head catch for a TD. Then this last weekend against Utah State he again showed his speed, athleticism and pass catching ability with another overhead bucket catch and making other receptions by going over the middle in traffic and catching with his hands while extending or leaping for the ball.
3. A.J. Cann - OG 6-4 310 Jr. - South Carolina
Sophomore RB Mike Davis stole the show in the Gamecocks come from behind victory over UCF by rushing for 167 yards and three TDs. And, as good as he was, Davis didn't do it all by himself. Left Guard A. J. Cann was solid in his pass blocking and in his run blocking and helped pave the way for Davis's success.
4. Derrick Hopkins - DT 6-0 312 Sr. - Virginia Tech
Not having to worry about rushing the passer, as Georgia Tech is run happy with their option offense, Hopkins was able to use his quickness off the snap and low charge to shoot the gap between a good center and a good left guard to penetrate into the backfield and disrupt their running game. There was one sequence where he shot through three successive times to break up the play. And there was one time that he was able to swat down a pass while still on the line of scrimmage. He has played well in the past and that includes the Alabama game this season. He has some similarities to DT Mike Patterson, formerly of the Eagles and now with the NY Giants.
5. Chris Conley - WR 6-3 205 Jr. - Georgia
Always considered to have good potential and with No. 1 receiver Malcolm Mitchell now out for the year with an ACL, Conley got his chance to step up, and he did. And by doing so he also helped QB Aaron Murray redeem himself. Conley had five receptions for 112 yards and one TD against LSU and that computes out to a 22.4 yards per catch average. As a backup last season he had 20 receptions for a 17.1 average and six TDs including an 87 yarder, which indicates that he is a deep threat. He is a fast, fluid running player with length. He catches with his hands and made some really good catches against LSU, one being a back shoulder catch, another an over the head catch and another catch in traffic. He has a 3.27 GPA and is an NCAA representative and is an impressive individual.
6. Aaron Murray - QB 6-0 210 Sr. - Georgia
Murray has moved from the Fallers list for his game against Clemson to shucking the "can't win the big one" tag for his solid performances in wins against South Carolina and LSU, which may revive some Drew Brees comparisons. He has some mobility, a lot of pocket awareness, enough arm strength to make all the different throws, and can drop the deep ball in the bucket. Against LSU his total yards would have been a lot better but for a dropped pass of a beautifully thrown ball, which he placed in the bucket. And while he also gets credit for bringing his team from behind in a pressure filled game, there are still times when his accuracy can be questioned as he missed a receiver in the end zone and overthrew another on a crossing pattern.
7. Zach Mettenberger - QB 6-5 230 Sr. - LSU
Mettenberger came up short in the win department with his duel against Aaron Murray but he raised his stock with NFL scouts as his improvement from 2012 is palpable. His decision making, confidence, awareness, as well as being able to stand tall in the pocket and deliver the ball with velocity and accuracy to all areas of the field are impressive. He is still limited mobility wise and still doesn't make all the correct decisions or all the good throws, but his improvement from last year to now has been STUNNING. His teammate, junior WR Jarvis Landry, is really coming on as a top flight receiver.
8. Braxton Miller - QB 6-2 215 Jr. - Ohio State
Miller was injured during the California game and was out for the next two games. Some observers believed that his back-up, senior Kenny Guiton, deserved the starting job based upon his performance during Miller’s injury. The thinking was that Guiton was a better passer and a decent runner in his own right and the team was doing well while he was in there. But inserting Miller back in as the started proved profound for Coach Urban Meyer as Miller put on a Russell Wilson type performance in the Buckeyes showdown against Wisconsin. Always known as a great athlete and runner, with his passing being a work in progress, his escape ability and running were still terrific, but he showed improvement with his passing delivery and accuracy. From an NFL evaluation standpoint however, he still has something to prove as there were three or four deep throws that were underthrown or off target.
FALLERS or BUMMERS
1. Marquis Flowers - OLB 6-3 229 Sr. - Arizona
Based upon his 2012 season of 100 tackles, 5.5 sacks, another 7.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and three passes broken up, expectations were high for Flowers in 2013. But his performance against Washington, other than showing his speed, was less than impressive. He missed a tackle, was faked out on a couple of others and he didn't show good instincts or block protection.
2. Stephon Tuitt - DE 6-6 322 Jr. - Notre Dame
First appearing on the Fallers list after the Michigan game, Tuitt is still here after the Oklahoma game. His performance may be from the sports hernia injury that he suffered last year and the increase in weight from 295 to 322, but he is not generating any pass rush or making plays. There was one time that he came hard and collapsed the pocket, but for a guy who was on everyone's top ten or top twenty list, his play has been a Bummer compared to last year. If he stays at this weight, a move to DT as a potential run stopper may be his future. Tuitt's teammate, NT Louis Nix, another pre-season top ten pick, has not performed up to that level.
3. Bradley Roby - CB 5-11 192 Jr. - Ohio State
Roby is another preseason top ten pick who hasn't performed up to expectations. He was torched by Wisconsin WR Jared Abbrederis in their showdown game. Abbrederis went for over 200 yards and mostly against Roby. Roby did again show that he is a strong tackler and did have some good coverage on shorter passes, but it is the deep throws where he keeps getting beat. Although Abbrederis is known as a good receiver, he is not known as a burner and Roby has very good speed. Roby was on my Fallers list earlier this season and it was for the same type of game where he showed strong tackling ability, some good coverage on short throws but was consistently beaten deep.
