NFL Draft 2014 Preview (44 page)

History:
Prepped in Alabama. Played all 13 games as a true freshman in 2009 and was credited with 12 tackles, 2 1/2 for loss and a sack with one interception. Played all 13 games in ’10 (one start at right end) and scratched 11-2-2. In ’11, managed 7-2-1 in three games before having season-ending microdisectomy surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. Was granted a medical hardship, preserving a year of eligibility. Started 7-of-11 games played at defensive end in ’12, managing 34-6 1/2-6 with a batted pass, forced fumble and blocked kick. Suffered an abdominal injury against Arkansas — did not play against Ole Miss and was hampered against Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and New Mexico State. Hurt his left MCL during ’13 fall camp — missed the first two games (Washington State, Arkansas State) and did not start against Mississippi State, but started the final 11 games and collected 29-14 1/2-10 1/2 with a batted pass and two forced fumbles. Did not work out at the Combine after he was red flagged medically stemming from previous back surgery (medical exclusion).

Strengths:
Very good acceleration and burst to beat blockers off the ball. Big hands. Anticipates the snap very well and has a long second step. Plays with urgency and keeps working to the quarterback. Outstanding energy and work ethic. Athletic enough to fall in coverage and play on his feet. Beat Texas A&M RT Cedric Ogbuehi for two sacks to close out a 45-41 upset victory and finished the season strong. Respected, defensive tempo-setter — distinguished by his effort, hustle and pursuit.

Weaknesses:
Undersized — thin-framed, lacks bulk and anchor strength to dig in vs. the run. Cannot convert speed to power and gets stalled if he cannot work half of a blocker. Struggles to discard blockers when locked up and gets inverted. Not comfortable moving in reverse. Has consistently been dinged with injuries and has never made it through a full season healthy. Recorded a very pedestrian 4.73-second 20-yard shuttle time at his pro day, indicative of marginal change of direction.

Future:
High-motor college left defensive end perhaps suited for a rush linebacker role in the pros. Has added more than 50 pounds to his frame since arriving on campus and has demonstrated the desire, work habits and competitiveness to develop into a productive edge rusher, if he can stay healthy and is programmed to go get the quarterback only.

Draft projection:
Second- to third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I don’t think he will be a great outside linebacker (conversion). He sees himself as a designated pass rusher. Factor in the injury thing at the Combine that no one knew about. In the drills at his pro day, they had to keep repeating things to him. He’s not smart. You need to have a plan for him. He’s not a plug-and-play guy. I originally had him in the third (round). Someone will probably take him in the second and say they are going to coach the heck out of him, try to justify it that way. If you’re talking about speed, twitch and power, he does have it all.”

WLB KHAIRI FORTT, #11

CALIFORNIA
>
Grade: 5.25

Ht: 6-2 1/4 | Wt: 248 | Sp: 4.69 | Arm: 33 5/8 | Hand: 10 1/8

History:
First name is pronounced “ky-REE.” Highly recruited USA Today All-American who also played lacrosse and ran track as a Connecticut prep. Suffered a sprained right ACL and bruised tibia as a senior in 2009. Began his college career at Penn State and was a reserve/special-teams player for two seasons. Appeared in nine games in 2010 (one start as an injury replacement) and tallied 17-1/2-0. Played all 13 games in ’11 and was credited with 33-6-2 1/2. Had surgery in April ’12 to repair a ligament that stabilized the patella in his right knee (dealt with subluxation since ninth grade when he tore the ligament). Following the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno scandal, transferred to Cal where he was eligible to play immediately, but redshirted while recovering from his knee procedure. In ’13, started the first nine games at Will linebacker and produced 64-3 1/2-1/2 before suffering a season-ending biceps injury against Arizona. Strained his left hamstring during Combine drills and did not run shuttles or the 3-cone drill.

Strengths:
Good size with a muscular build, including long arms and big hands. Field fast — moves like a safety. Very athletic and agile. Plays on his feet and bends naturally. Excellent lateral agility — flows smoothly and has sideline-to-sideline range. Uses his arms like flippers to play off blocks. Loose-hipped to drop into coverage and match with backs and tight ends. Has traits to excel on special teams. Bench-pressed 225 pounds 30 times, tied for most among linebackers at the Combine.

Weaknesses:
Frame is nearly maxed out. Very average key-and-diagnose skills slow his play speed. Does not always trust what he sees — takes false steps and hesitates to trigger. Inconsistent run fits and field leverage. Can be stronger at the point of attack. Did not make enough splash plays. Has underachiever traits. Motivation and durability should be looked into.

Future:
A better athlete than football player at this stage of his development, Fortt transferred from Penn State and played only one season at Cal before making a premature jump to the NFL. Speedy, finesse, see-and-go reactor who looks the part and has intriguing, starter-caliber athleticism to fit on the weak side in a fast-flowing 4-3 where he’s freed up to chase the ball. Must sharpen his eyes and instincts to reach his potential.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He played like a second-rounder vs. Ohio State. He can run and he’s fast. Other games, he looks like just a guy. He’s always hurt. That’s his problem.”

LOLB-DLE JAMES GAYLE, #99

VIRGINIA TECH
>
Grade: 5.31

Ht: 6-3 3/4 | Wt: 259 | Sp: 4.69 | Arm: 32 3/8 | Hand: 9 5/8

History:
Uncle, Shaun Gayle, was a Pro Bowl safety for the Bears (1984-95). James is a Virginia native. Played defensive end for the Hokies. Redshirted in 2009. Appeared in all 14 games in ’10, starting two as an injury replacement, and tallied 13 tackles, 6 1/2 for loss and four sacks with a forced fumble. Started all 13 games in ’11, collecting 38-12 1/2-7. Sprained his left ankle against Miami and sat out against Wake Forest, then re-injured the ankle early against Boston College. Started 11-of-13 games in ’12, recording 43-11-5 with a batted pass. Did not start in the season opener against Georgia Tech (right ankle) or the Russell Athletic Bowl against Rutgers. Started all 13 games in ’13 and notched 44-10 1/2-6 with a batted pass and forced fumble.

Strengths:
Excellent height-weight-speed ratio. Looks the part and has weight-room strength. Explosive athlete with rare leaping ability for his size — posted a 37-inch vertical and broad jumped 10 feet, 2 inches. Good balance and edge burst and enough flexibility to turn the corner. Dogged in pursuit and ranges all over the field to make tackles. Flattens and crashes down the line. Strong wrap tackler. Durable three-year starter. Has NFL bloodlines (uncle, Shaun, was a Pro Bowl safety for the Bears).

Weaknesses:
Average eyes and instincts. Questionable football intelligence. Short on bulk and anchor strength to play with his hand in the dirt — soft edge setter. Not equipped to shadow in man coverage and is unnatural playing in reverse. Limited scheme versatility. Could require short leash and extra reps.

Future:
Explosive, high-motor see-and-go reactor whose calling card is his ability to pressure the edge. Does not play to his weight-room numbers against the run and lacks desirable length and smarts, projecting as a situational 3-4 rush linebacker.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He’s a finesse, edge (rusher) that has some quickness and acceleration off the ball. He’s not strong. He can’t anchor. He plays hard. He can’t win if you have to be honest. He does a little hand chop and dip and run — that is his signature move. He can’t play in the bubble, and he is not a true defensive end. The 3-4 rush teams will like him the best.”

MLB JEREMIAH GEORGE, #52

IOWA STATE
>
Grade: 5.18

Ht: 5-11 1/4 | Wt: 234 | Sp: 4.91 | Arm: 31 7/8 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Prepped in Florida. Saw very limited action 2010-11 (wore jersey No. 7) — recorded five tackles, zero for loss and zero sacks in 22 games over two seasons. Started 9-of-13 games in ’12 and produced 87-4-0 with three pass breakups. Was the Cyclones’ MVP in ’13 when he was the Big 12’s leading tackler — registered 133-12-3 1/2 with six pass breakups and two interceptions. Team captain. Pulled a hamstring running the 40-yard dash at the Combine and did not participate in positional drills, shuttle or 3-cone drill.

Strengths:
Is sudden stepping downhill and flashes some shock in his hands. Plays with urgency and leaves all his energy and effort on the field. Explosive short-area burst. Very good balance and body control. Flows fast to the sideline and has the speed to cut off backs at the corner. Intense, vocal team leader. Good work ethic. Strong for his size — bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times at the Combine. Is committed to the game and competes hard. Has the makeup of a special-teams terror.

Weaknesses:
Marginal size (built like a box safety). Slew-footed. Runs around blocks and takes himself out of plays overpursuing and giving up the cutback. Not stout — can be run at. Average zone awareness. See-and-go reactor — late to trigger.

Future:
Undersized, run-and-hit linebacker most ideally suited for a special-teams role. Lack of size will relegate him to a fast-flowing 4-3 under front, where he could be best on the weak side where action is funneled to him and he has a clean path to the ball.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

WLB ANTHONY HITCHENS, #31

IOWA
>
Grade: 4.95

Ht: 6-0 3/8 | Wt: 240 | Sp: 4.74 | Arm: 32 1/2 | Hand: 9 1/8

History:
Florida native who took initiative to move out of his biological parents’ house and live with a friend’s family in order to attend a better, safer school and remain focused on his football career. High school running back, linebacker and kick returner who had 3,864 career rushing yards and 52 touchdowns — earned four varsity letters in addition to playing basketball and running track. Bounced between safety, linebacker and running back as a true freshman in 2010, recording nine tackles, zero for loss and zero sacks in 10 games played. Appeared in eight games in ’11, tallying 25-0-0. Missed five games because of a knee sprain. Started all 11 games at Will linebacker in ’12 and notched 124-5 1/2-1. Was benched during the Purdue contest after multiple blown assignments, and did not play against Michigan (illness). Was the Hawkeyes’ leading tackler and Defensive MVP in ’13 — started all 13 games at Will and registered 112-13 1/2-2 with two pass breakups, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Strengths:
Aggressive tackler. Flows fast to the ball (when he sees it) and has good playing range to the sideline. Plays bigger than his size and does not back down from big-bodied blockers or physical runners (see Ohio State). Fairly explosive hitter. Plays with a chip on his shoulder and is highly respected for his work ethic, makeup and overall approach. Is mentally and physically tough. Very durable despite lack of size (missed only one game in career).

Weaknesses:
Is short and lacks bulk. Tends to play narrow-based and get rooted out of the hole on inside runs. Angles and anticipation could stand to improve — is late to sort out misdirection. Very average cover instincts — often is lured by play-action passing game. See-and-go reactor. Modest production for a weakside position where action is designed to be heavily funneled his way — leaves some on the field.

Future:
An active, undersized, run-and-hit weakside linebacker, Hitchens is at his best in a scheme where he is protected and free to run to the ball. Has shown gradual improvement and could stand to compete for a backup role.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

Scout’s take:
“There’s something missing instinctually. He’s a finesse guy.”

LOLB ADRIAN HUBBARD, #42 (JUNIOR)

ALABAMA
>
Grade: 5.45

Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 257 | Sp: 4.69 | Arm: 34 1/2 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Prepped in Georgia. Redshirted in 2010. Was a reserve “Jack” linebacker in ’11 and appeared in nine games, recording nine tackles, 1 1/2 tackles for loss and zero sacks. Started 13-of-14 games at “Sam” in ’12, producing 41-11-7 with a batted pass and three forced fumbles. Did not start against Mississippi State (Tide opened with the “Jack” instead of the “Sam). Started all 13 games at SLB in ’13, totaling 33-5 1/2-3 with three batted passes. Did not bench press or run shuttles or 3-cone drill at the Combine because of a deltoid strain and right hamstring strain.

Strengths:
Exceptional length and overall size for a rush linebacker. Good hand strength to leverage the edge. Flashes pass-rush ability — nice bend and balance. Flattens down the line and is athletic enough to string out plays to the sideline. Is strong enough to set the edge, shed and defend the run. Good take-on strength and anchor — benchpresses tight ends. Nimble-footed enough to carry tight ends down the field (see LSU). Already graduated.

Weaknesses:
Lacks elite edge speed, burst and explosion. Does not make plays and too often disappears for stretches. Instincts are still developing — can be lured by play-action and misdirection. Average career sack production (10 sacks). Has a quirky personality, inflated opinion of his ability and carries a sense of entitlement that could be difficult to manage and require a patient positional coach.