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2010 NFL Draft Stock Up
Jermaine Cunningham, DE, Florida Through three games I have watched, the 6-3, 250-pound Cunningham is clearly a better football player than Carlos Dunlap. He plays with great effort, has underrated speed off the edge and has a strong initial pop (put 350-pound Ciron Black on his butt). I like his effort against the run. Cunningham will come off the board in the second-to-fourth round and will be a nice third-down pass-rusher in the league.
Joe Haden, CB, Florida Haden has been inconsistent this season, but he had a beautiful interception against LSU’s Jordan Jefferson. He had to really lay out to make the play and it certainly was a game-changer. I like Haden’s ball skills and intensity against the run – he’s a physical corner.
2010 NFL Draft Stock Down
D’Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech The NFL Draft analysts had a weekly orgasm as they raved about Smith’s box score, “TWO SACKS-OMG-IT’S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE!!!” Let’s get back to our roots and analyze the game. Here is what I saw. Early on, Smith did a poor job of holding his ground. He lacked a base and was manhandled on this play.
He showed a nice bull rush. I still have legit concerns about his quickness off the snap. He shows very strong hands; disengaged for a nice tackle. Again, his hands are impressive in his ability to shed linemen.
Smith rotates in and out too much for my liking if he is a potential first-rounder. He showed inconsistent effort getting easily blocked by a small tight end. He lacked the athleticism to make a play in space. Solid game by Smith, but he doesn’t have overly impressive talent.
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida Instead of copying/pasting 400 words, Walter will hyperlink you to my blog update about the Overrated Carlos Dunlap. It isn’t pretty.
Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke I think I really mis-evaluated Oghobaase, and this happens to everyone. He looked very stiff in this game. I don’t see fluid hips, much speed, or any impressive agility. He lacks explosive athleticism. Looks like a second-to-fourth rounder.
2010 NFL Draft Stock Stable
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska You might be asking, “If Suh played such a great game, why is his stock just ‘stable?'” Good question, but the answer is he is my No. 4 prospect in the nation, and that doesn’t change after this game. Suh was absolutely dominant showcasing the same power, quickness, and playmaking ability he did a year ago. His lower body strength really came into play in this contest because he took on multiple double teams and had to fight through opposing linemen.
I love his agility and athleticism. He has the best bull rush in this draft. The Missouri right guard was glad this game was over. Ndamukong Suh totaled six tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one INT, and one forced fumble; however, you can’t judge his impact based on this box score. He was simply unstoppable for four quarters and Suh getting pressure was a huge reason why Nebraska won this game.
Suh almost had another interception thrown right at him (hard), but he dropped it. Don’t worry, you won’t read “doesn’t have soft hands” in any scouting report for a defensive tackle. My projected No. 1 overall pick played like one in this game.
Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri Weatherspoon is easily the best weakside linebacker prospect in this draft. He had a solid game against Nebraska, but he didn’t blow me away. I love his athletic ability, closing speed and instincts, but he blew two big zone assignments in this game. With 9:40 left in the 2nd quarter, he blew his zone coverage and instead rushed the quarterback when the quarterback left the pocket. Quarterback Zach Lee wasn’t within eight yards of Weatherspoon and this poor decision led to a completion. Another time, he blew his zone coverage with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter on a two-point conversion.
Weatherspoon might lack discipline, but he brings enough to the table to be a first-round pick. Weatherspoon made a few very nice tackles in this game, but it was an inconsistent performance.
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan Graham isn’t a first-round prospect. He might have been hyped up as that in the past, but he simply doesn’t have the talent. What Graham does have is a competitive attitude and a nice motor. He lacks explosive speed and athleticism. He doesn’t offer much besides a bull rush. He did a solid job of protecting his legs against a cut block, then making a very physical tackle against the run. He showed a nice burst against Iowa LT Bryan Bulaga, and he got past him with an inside move for a sack. Graham is a solid prospect and will find a home with some team’s rotation or at left defensive end in the league.
Russell Okung, T, Oklahoma State I really don’t think it gets any tougher than Texas A&M 3-4 outside linebacker prospect Von Miller. Miller has an extremely quick first step, he is a highly intelligent player (understands OL footwork and how to set them up), and has great speed and agility off the edge.
Okung held his own though, but did give up a few plays. Okung shows a nice kick step and has great ankle and knee flexion. However, he does tend to have too narrow of a base, which results in occasionally being too high – this is where he is vulnerable, and Von Miller exposed him. Okung was beat by Miller on a play in which he didn’t kick step and he crossed his feet over.
Okung shows beautiful vision and awareness when picking up the blitz. He did a great job of picking up on Miller’s tendency – he loves the inside move where he can set the OT up with his elite agility. I love how Okung handled Miller and he shows the intelligence, athleticism, and potential of a top-five NFL Draft pick.
Click here to see how this has affected the 2010 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings.
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