NFL

Career Recap: Thomas has been an impact defender for the Cardinal since his freshman season. He started his career in 2009 as a defensive end and made eight starts at the position. The freshman had 36 tackles and four sacks. Thomas was moved to outside linebacker in 2010 in Stanford’s 3-4 defense, and that position…

Strengths: Road-grading power back Deceptive speed, can break off long touchdown runs Ideal build and size Quickness to the hole Tough, physical runner Excellent yards after contact Arm tackles don’t work on him Great spin move to break free from tacklers Runs behind pads Effective in goal line, short-yardage situations Has good straight-line speed Can…

Career Recap: The redshirt senior Fauria has been a solid player for the Bruins the past two seasons. He started out his collegiate career at Notre Dame before transferring to UCLA. The Los Angeles Times wrote an article that Fauria had been kicked out of Notre Dame, but the full story hasn’t been reported. Fauria…

Career Recap: Brown entered the starting lineup for the Illini as a sophomore in 2011 and became an immediate playmaker. He flew around the field and consistently generated splash plays. Brown had 108 tackles, 20.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks, four passes broken up, a forced fumble and an interception. He was tied for…

Strengths: Man-coverage ability Ability to run with receivers in their routes Rarely allows separation Good cover skills Cover-corner ability Change of direction skills Quick feet Good speed Comfortable with ball in the air Great hip flexibility to turn and run Plays well in zone Good size Recoverability Gritty; physical with receivers Confident; has the man-corner…

Strengths: Very strong Physical Excellent hands Superb run-blocker Big target Attacks the middle seam Leaping ability Good route-running Red-zone weapon Asset in short-yardage, goal-line situations Tough to bring down Strong drive-blocker Dangerous seam tight end Weaknesses: Fast enough for the NFL? A Big Ten plodder? Should slim down Lacks good speed May not be a…

Strengths: Elite pass-protector Very reliable Mirrors well with speed-rushers Quick feet Great length Knee bend Fast in his drop Very advanced technique Mobility to hit blocks on the perimeter Gets to blocks on the second level Can anchor against bull rushes Fabulous recoverability Should be a technician in the NFL Flexible to play zone-blocking or…

Strengths: Hard hitter Tackling ability Run defense Physical presence Can separate the ball from the receiver Experienced Durable Quickness Ready to compete quickly Weaknesses: Liability in pass coverage Constantly burned in 2012 Can take bad angles Takes false steps Stiff; struggles to turn and run with receivers Sometimes he doesn’t wrap up Overly aggressive; penalties…

Strengths: Strong pass-protector Solid run-blocker Good athlete Mirrors speed-rushers Quick feet Good quickness Can stand up bull rushes Very agile Ready to play in the NFL Recoverability Strong hands Sustains blocks Mobility to hit blocks downfield Pulls well Effective in short yardage Big hands (10 3/8″) Durable Experienced Scheme versatility Could play tackle in a…

Strengths: Displays of excellent accuracy Intelligent Hard worker Puts in a lot of time in the film room Decision-making Excellent ball security Rarely ever throws interceptions Field vision Accurate in college Strong arm; can make all the throws Quick-strike capabilities Pushes the ball downfield Athletic Can make plays with his feet Experienced and fits well…