This page was last updated April 24, 2013. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
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Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma
Height: 6-6. Weight: 303. Hand: 9 3/4. Arm: 35.
40 Time: 4.72.
Projected Round (2013): Top-10 Pick.
4/24/13: The rise for Johnson has him as a lock to be a top-10 pick and is extremely likely to have him go in the first seven selections. Johnson was a 2-year starter who was a good edge-blocker for Landry Jones. In his best tests of 2012, Johnson had strong games protecting his quarterback against Notre Dame, Texas and Texas A&M.
Johnson dominated the Combine with a gold standard workout for offensive linemen. He showed his elite athletic ability in the field drills and had the second fastest 40-yard dash. Many believe that Johnson has more upside than Fisher or Joeckel.
Johnson was the second-most impressive blocker at the Senior Bowl – behind only Eric Fisher. Johnson was rock solid in pass protection in the one-on-ones. He clearly has been well-developed by the Sooners coaching staff to protect the blind side. After all, Johnson did a lot of pass blocking at Oklahoma for Landry Jones.
Johnson has light, quick feet to get depth in his drop and negate speed rushes. It looks like he can stay at left tackle in the NFL and also has the frame to add more weight while maintaing his quickness.
There is a big demand for tackles in the NFL, and Johnson has demonstrated he has starting potential. A couple of scouts told WalterFootball.com that Johnson should go in the first round and that looks like a certainty off of his performance at the Senior Bowl alone. There are plenty of teams that could use an edge-blocker of Johnson’s ability.
There were a lot of doubts at Oklahoma entering the season if Johnson could handle left tackle, but did extremely well for the Sooners. Johnson redshirted in 2009 before playing tight end and defensive end in 2010, so his athleticism can be seen in him trying a variety of positions. -
Kenny Stills*, WR, Oklahoma
Height: 6-1. Weight: 194. Arm: 30.48. Hand: 9.08.
40 Time: 4.38.
Projected Round (2013): 3-4.
4/24/13: Stills really helped himself at the Combine with a surprisingly fast 40 time. He also did well in the field drills. However, there are some off-the-field questions with Stills, so his performance in the team interviews was just as, if not more important than, his field workout.
Stills had a strong season for Landry Jones. Stills totaled 82 receptions for 959 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012. He was consistently good, but never spectacular.
8/17/12: Stills had a very good true freshman season in 2010. He caught 61 passes for 786 yards and five touchdowns. The sophomore hauled in 61 passes for 849 yards and eight touchdowns last year.
Stills had a huge game against Florida State in 2011, and was the top offensive player that pushed the Sooners to a road win. He also had a big game against Texas Tech, but didn’t record a 100-yard game in his last five outings. The change was that Stills saw more double coverage once teammate Ryan Broyles was out for the season with a knee injury.
Stills should see plenty of good opportunities to improve his numbers in 2012, since Broyles has moved on to the NFL. Plus, Stills has one of the top passing quarterbacks in college football to work with, Landry Jones. Stills should have a productive junior season and could declare early for the 2013 NFL Draft.
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Tony Jefferson*, S, Oklahoma
Height: 5-11. Weight: 213.
40 Time: 4.75.
Projected Round (2013): 4-6.
4/24/13: Jefferson totaled 119 tackles, two interceptions and three passes broken up in 2012. He was one of the few Sooners who came to play against Kansas State. Jefferson had 14 tackles with a tackle for a loss versus the Wildcats. The junior was excellent at making tackles on perimeter runs at the line of scrimmage even though he was lining up 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.
Jefferson had excellent games against Notre Dame and Iowa State to lead the Sooners’ defense. He also performed well in Oklahoma’s other outings including UTEP and Texas Tech. On the other hand, Jefferson had disappointing performances against West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
WalterFootball.com has heard that scouts were getting bad feedback regarding Jefferson’s work ethic in the weight room and on the practice field. He had a disappointing Combine with a slow 40 time and one of the lower totals on the bench press for a safety. Jefferson didn’t run at his pro day.
9/2/12: Jefferson has been a play-maker and leader of the Sooners’ defense since he arrived in Norman. Jefferson was the Big XII Freshman of the Year in 2010. He started nine games and recorded 65 tackles with seven tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions and seven passes broken up.
Jefferson was even better last year. The sophomore had 74 tackles with four interceptions, 4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for a loss, three passes broken up and one forced fumble.
Jefferson is an excellent pass-defender who covers a lot of ground in the deep part of the field. He does a good job of picking up receivers running deep and has the athletic ability to play man coverage on tight ends.
Jefferson is solid in run support. The athletic and instinctive safety has a high ceiling and could be in store for another big season or two for the Sooners. Jefferson is a difference-maker and a regular generator of splash plays. He has added some bulk this offseason and that should appeal to NFL evaluators. -
Landry “Lance” Jones, QB, Oklahoma
Height: 6-3. Weight: 221. Arm: 32 1/8. Hand: 9.
40 Time: 5.11.
Projected Round (2013): 4-6.
4/24/13: Jones threw the ball pretty well in the field drills at the Combine, but also illustrated that he doesn’t have much athleticism.
Jones completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,267 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2012. The senior showed some real growth by leading comeback wins at West Virginia and at home against Oklahoma State. In the past, he struggled when his team fell behind to a quality opponent. The last month of the regular season saw him play perhaps the best football of his collegiate career, but that career ended poorly in a blowout by Texas A&M.
The only real blemish on Jones’ regular season was an ugly performance when Oklahoma lost to Kansas State 24-19 at home. He fumbled the ball into the end zone for a Wildcats touchdown and threw an interception to set up six more points for Kansas State.
Jones was his typical self at the Senior Bowl in that he flashed some great throws in between a lot of bad plays. Jones hurt his draft stock in Mobile.
8/16/12: Jones has led Oklahoma to some big wins and huge offensive days over his career, but the Sooners have also had somewhat disappointing finishes with him at the helm. He completed 63 percent of his passes in 2011 for 4,463 yards with 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Jones has shown the big-armed pocket presence to be a potential starting quarterback at the next level. He is adept at dropping back and working through his progressions to find an open receiver.
Jones was outplayed by Robert Griffin in their head-to-head matchup, and Baylor came out on top of the Sooners. Jones also played terribly against Oklahoma State, throwing two interceptions and serving up two touchdowns on fumbles. The games against the Bears and the Cowboys bring into question whether Jones lacks the ‘it’ factor to push his team to a win. He lost some touchdown throws due to Oklahoma putting in backup quarterback Blake Bell to run the ball into the end zone.
Jones has taken advantage of the high caliber of wideouts on the field with him and a strong running game. By the time he enters the draft, Jones should be experienced as long as he stays healthy.
When Sam Bradford was injured in 2009, the true freshman Jones was pressed into starting duty and performed well. He completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Jones made big strides as a sophomore in 2010 when he completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,718 yards with 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. -
Demontre Hurst, CB, Oklahoma
Height: 5-10. Weight: 183.
40 Time: 4.53.
Projected Round (2013): 5-7.
4/24/13: Hurst had 59 tackles and nine pass breakups this season. He was solid and looked good at the East-West Shrine, but did not participate in the Combine. Hurst did well at his pro day, recording a solid 40 time.
9/1/12: Hurst is a decent cornerback who has been a reliable defender for Oklahoma. The junior played well in 2011 and was a Second-Team All-Big XII selection. Hurst had some issues against Baylor like the rest of the Oklahoma defense. He had 55 tackles with one interception and 11 passes broken up last year.
Hurst recorded 50 tackles with three forced fumbles, one interception and 11 passes broken up as a sophomore. He needs to improve his ball skills. Hurst’s draft stock could rise this year if he can turn more PBUs into INTs. -
Javon Harris, S, Oklahoma
Height: 5-11. Weight: 206.
Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
Projected Round (2013): 7-FA.
4/24/13: Harris totaled 86 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, five passes broken up and six interceptions in 2012. One pick was returned 46 yards for a touchdown against Texas Tech. He is a sleeper prospect who could compete.
9/2/12: Harris started last season with a big game against Florida State, but he gave up some plays in conference play during 2011. The first-year starter had 47 tackles with three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Harris needs to make strides as a senior. -
Tress Way, P, Oklahoma
Height: 6-1. Weight: 215.
Projected Round (2011): 7-FA.
4/24/13: Way averaged 44 yards per punt in 2012. He probably will go undrafted.
9/3/12: Way had a quality junior season with an average of 42 yards. He had 17 punts over 50 yards with 34 downed inside the 20-yard line. Way averaged 44 yards per punt in 2010, and he has a career average of 44.4 yards.
Way’s accuracy has improved in that he has reduced his touchbacks over the past three seasons. He had 22 punts over 50 yards in 2009 and 19 over 50 in 2010. -
Tom Wort*, ILB, Oklahoma
Height: 6-0. Weight: 235.
40 Time: 4.78.
Projected Round (2013): 7-FA.
4/24/13: Wort totaled 53 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, two sacks and one pass broken up this year. He flashed at times, but also disappeared for stretches. Wort entered the 2013 NFL Draft early, but the junior needed to improve more at the college level. He didn’t perform well at the Combine.
8/31/12: Wort had 66 tackles with 7.5 tackles for a loss as freshman in 2010, and Bob Stoops was raving about his improvement entering 2011. Wort stepped up and played well last year. The sophomore led Oklahoma against Florida State with 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception. He finished with 71 tackles with 4.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions.
Wort would have better tackle totals if he played in a conference that ran the ball more consistently. The Big XII is a passing-driven league, and the benefit is Wort having developed his ability to be a three-down linebacker. Wort played well down the stretch in 2011. He has tons of potential and should continue to improve. It would be good if the junior adds 10-15 pounds of muscle for the NFL. Otherwise Wort may need to move to outside linebacker.
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