NFL Draft: Scout’s Notebook

This is NFL Draft Scout’s Notebook, where Matt McGuire will list the notes he took while scouting players for the 2011 NFL Draft, 2012 NFL Draft and beyond.
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Posted Sept. 9, 2010

LSU vs. North Carolina (First Half Only)

North Carolina

17 Zack Pianalto
64 Jonathan Cooper
87 Jheranie Boyd
52 Quan Sturdivant
54 Bruce Carter
27 Deunta Williams


LSU

92 Drake NEvis
11 Kelvin Sheppard
15 Brandon Taylor
7 Patrick Peterson
78 Joe Barksdale
80 Terrence Toliver
2 Rueben Randle
34 Steven Ridley

Drake Nevis

1st – 14:48 – Explosive off snap … good disruptor … fails to make tackle in backfield but good effort … will watch stamina level late in game.

1st – 8:57 – Perfect anticipation of snap … very quick and shows some explosiveness

1st – 8:22 – Good job staying low and keeps hands inside on linemen to maintain space, however, he lacks bulk and gets swallowed up by center here, thrown to ground

1st – 7:44 – 0-technique position in “30” front … VERY quick hands but center misses assignment

1st – 4:40 – 0-tech position in “30” front … outstanding motor and stays with play … disengages and shows excellent range in chasing down RB

1st – 3:04 – Very active, outstanding penetrator who stays low, beats center with quickness and disrupts run

2nd – 5:32 – Nice club-rip move and has very quick hands … good athleticism and earns sack

2nd – 4:45 – Excellent anticipation of snap count and uses quickness to get TFL … simply beat LG straight up


Kelvin Sheppard

1st – 14:48 – Could have asserted himself more into running lane … a little hesitant and displayed bad instincts, but it could just be first game jitters

1st – 4:40 – Inexcusable missed tackle … in perfect position, but didn’t finish play

1st – 1:54 – LSU in man coverage, Shepp on TE … gives too much space, but reacts fairly quickly to make tackle and net zero YAC

2nd – 13:58 – Missed tackle, leads to TD

2nd – 8:34 – Shows average to below average speed in chasing down QB


Brandon Taylor

1st – 14:48 – Good job recognizing run and pursuing appropriate gap taking on block … nice awareness and recovers fumble

1st – 8:22 – Good anticipation of run, gets involved and makes nice tackle … displays elite run support … love his instincts on this play … good vision and attacked A gap … however, below average tackling technique a little finesse with the arm tackle


Joe Barksdale

1st – 14:37 – Good job staying low, using hands, and shows nice strength at POA … turns right shoulder to use angle and cut off DE

1st – 14:27 – Fluid in getting to second level … gets tripped

1st – 12:18 – Could have done a better job of sealing off DT here and attacking his outside shoulder

1st – 11:19 – Just analyzing technique here – does a good job of staying low and keeping knees/butt bent out of 3-pt stance, then when he gets hands into linemen he uses legs and hips to generate push

1st – 9:03 – 3rd and goal on 6 yd line (shotgun, 4 WR set) … Great kick step, stays low in stance, patient and waits for DE to make move … great posture … elite footwork, steps are choppy and quick not long and slow, doesn’t cross feet … once Barksdale identifies speed rush, he aligns shoulders to angle off DE

1st – 7:06 – LOVE his hand extension here and does a great job of controlling DE … good job adjusting after DE makes a quick move outside

1st – 6:37 – Nice footwork and continues to show great technique, but he gets caught on heels and DE catches him off balance

In early 2nd QTR, Barksdale could get more involved and physical in run game … he is a bit finesse and seems to lack a killer instinct as a run blocker

2nd – 2:37 – Nice footwork and sits in stance patiently … superb hand use


Patrick Peterson

1st – 13:36 – Zone … great instincts and reacts quickly to pass thrown to TE in flat … shows amazing strength for a CB on solo tackle … elite tackling technique in pursuit – doesn’t leave his feet. Beautiful play here and minimizes YAC (1 or less)

1st – 5:26 – Shows very good strength again in solo tackle of TE … intense and competitive.

2nd – 4:18 – (punt return) – Nice vision as he uses outside blocker to create running lane … cuts up field and shows 4.4 speed as he blazes by North Carolina defense … Very good speed, but didn’t show elite speed here


Terrance Tolliver

1st – 11:51 – Has to go down low to receiver poorly thrown pass … good adjustment and hangs onto football after hit … big play on 3rd down to keep drive alive in red zone


Steven Ridley

1st – 11:19 – Cuts quickly with nice agility and C.O.D. … identifies cutback lane and has good quickness … seems to have tenacious running style as well and pumps feet and drives forward falling down after contact


Jon Cooper

1st – 8:22 – Adjusts to DT here after initial pop, shows dominant strength, uses leverage and earns pancake block

1st – 7:44 – Misses assignment … head on swivel, but should have been in direct pass pro vs. nose guard and lets Nevis get by him


Quan Sturdivant

1st – 7:00 – (1st play of game) Shows very nice speed in pursuit from weakside

2nd – 10:51 – Good instincts, reacts quickly, hits gap with authority, takes on FB block and makes tackle on big 3rd down.


Bruce Carter

1st – 6:37 – MIKE position – Nice technique in drop back, and puts huge hit on WR over middle to break up pass on 3rd down






MISSING





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