NFL Draft 2014 Preview (46 page)

Strengths:
Agile and athletic. Flows to the ball when he has a clear path. Experience in space and over the slot. Has terrific personal and football character, including leadership traits. Two-time captain. Was a 21-year-old senior.

Weaknesses:
Undersized — lacks ideal length and bulk. Looks like a safety at first glance. Outmuscled at the point of attack — gets stuck on blocks and covered up. Average eyes and instincts. Needs to be schemed free as a blitzer. Not a playmaker — just 3.5 sacks and 9.5 TFL in three seasons. Put up 225 pounds just 16 times, second-fewest among linebackers at the Combine.

Future:
Small-framed, athletic, finesse, run-around Will linebacker who will have to stand out on special teams to earn a reserve spot.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I’m not a big fan of his actually. He doesn’t run well. He’s not very smart. He covers a lot of air. He’s mostly a rush guy. He does not drop a lot. He plays in short area. He’s a run-and-chase guy.”

ROLB-DRE DEMARCUS LAWRENCE, #8 (JUNIOR)

BOISE STATE
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Grade: 6.10

Ht: 6-2 7/8 | Wt: 251 | Sp: 4.79 | Arm: 33 3/4 | Hand: 11

History:
Played defensive end, tight end and offensive tackle as a South Carolina prep. Attended Butler Community College (KS), where he redshirted in 2010 and racked up 66 tackles, 27 for loss and 10 sacks in ’11. Committed to Boise State and then-head coach Chris Peterson over offers from South Carolina, Oklahoma, Clemson and Tennessee, among others. Started all 11 games played at defensive end in ’12, recording 48-13 1/2-9 1/2 with an interception, four forced fumbles, a blocked kick and a fumble return touchdown. Was suspended against UNLV and Washington (Maaco Bowl). Started all 12 games played at defensive end in ’13, amassing 72-20 1/2-10 1/2 with a batted pass, three forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. Was suspended against Tennessee-Martin.

Strengths:
Highly athletic. Fluid, flexible and rangy. Has long arms and meat hooks for hands. Terrific balance and body control. Has quick, coordinated hands and feet to slingshot off blocks. Has natural pass-rush ability — shows burst, bend and closing speed to hunt down quarterbacks. Dips inside suddenly. Terrific knee and ankle flexion — flattens efficiently and redirects and accelerates smoothly. Explosive tackler. Made an instant impact at BSU and was productive behind the line of scrimmage — 34 TFL and 20 sacks from 2012-13. Carries a swagger and plays with attitude.

Weaknesses:
Could stand to get stronger and play with more pop and power in his hands. Lacks ideal bulk to play with his hand in the dirt. Gets knocked around when he exposes his frame. Doesn’t control tight ends. Is weak at the point of attack and gets wiped out by double teams. Can be overaggressive and lose contain or fly by tackles. Can do a better job protecting his legs. Lacks experience playing in reverse. Character and stability need to be looked into.

Future:
A loose, explosive, long-limbed athlete, Lawrence consistently pressurizes the edge and harasses quarterbacks. His pass-rushing ability rates among the best in this year’s class, and he holds mass appeal. Lacks ideal stoutness at the point of attack, but could thrive as a 4-3 right end or 3-4 rush linebacker, and should contribute readily on passing downs.

Draft projection:
Second-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“Lawrence has flex and bend, but I thought he would run better at the Combine. It could push him to the second (round). ... He looks like one of those old-school Raiders’ linebackers. He can dip and rip off the edge. He’s one of the best rush guys I have seen.”

WLB BOSEKO LOKOMBO, #25

OREGON
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Grade: 5.10

Ht: 6-2 1/8 | Wt: 225 | Sp: 4.66 | Arm: 33 3/8 | Hand: 9 7/8

History:
Born in the Congo, moved to Montreal in 1996 and grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia (Canadian citizen). Redshirted in 2009. Was a reserve/special-teams player his first two seasons. In ’10, recorded 36 tackles, two for loss and zero sacks with three pass breakups and a fumble recovery touchdown in 13 games. In ’11, tallied 33-3 1/2-2 with three pass breakups, two interception touchdowns and a forced fumble in 14 games. Started all 13 games at strong-side linebacker in ’12, producing 39-4 1/2-2 with four pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Started 11-of-13 games at SLB in ’13, posting 63-7-3 with a pass breakup, an interception and a forced fumble. Was benched against Washington State and UCLA in favor of sophomore Tyson Coleman. Did not bench press or do the vertical jump at the Combine because of a torn left labrum (medical exclusion). Was drafted by the BC Lions in the third round of the ’13 CFL draft after he was rated the No. 1 overall prospect according to the CFL Scouting Bureau.

Strengths:
Flexible, loose-hipped athlete with fluid movement skills. Good closing speed. Is agile and athletic enough to match up with tight ends, backs and even some slot receivers. Can buzz the flat and deter throws with closing speed. Shows good zone awareness moving forward and will deliver some jarring hits to intimidate crossers. Solid press-cover skills. Times the blitz well. Has all the athletic tools to become a solid special-teams contributor.

Weaknesses:
Just a two-year starter and instincts are still developing — does not trigger quickly to what he sees and could take some time to assimilate a complex playbook. Lacks throwback linebacker toughness and functional playing strength. Often gets locked down once blockers get their hands on him. Can do a better job shedding blocks. Plays a bit recklessly and could do a better job wrapping up as a tackler. Was not an impactful special-teams performer.

Future:
A run-and-chase, strong-side linebacker with speed that could easily be utilized on the weak side or allow him to develop as a nickel-cover linebacker. Does not possess ideal toughness or instincts for special teams. Canadian-born prospect could be most highly coveted by the CFL.

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“If he were tough, he absolutely gets drafted. He’s just not a football player. (The coaches) have been trying to get it out of him his whole career. It’s hit or miss and there is no way to measure it. Sometimes the pebbles drop, but the arrow is not pointing that way. He is smart. He’s a good kid. I just don’t know if it’s in him. You have to be mentally tough to play in our league.”

ROLB-DRE-ILB KHALIL MACK, #46

BUFFALO
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Grade: 7.20

Ht: 6-2 5/8 | Wt: 251 | Sp: 4.64 | Arm: 33 1/4 | Hand: 10 1/4

History:
Prepped in Florida, where he was primarily a basketball player until his senior year — Buffalo was only FBS offer. Tore his patellar tendon as an underclassman. Redshirted in 2009. Played outside linebacker in a 3-4 for the Bulls, and started all 48 games he played. In ’10, played 12 games and recorded 68 tackles, 14 1/2 for loss and 4 1/2 sacks with 10 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Tallied 65-20 1/2-5 1/2 with two pass breakups, an interception and five forced fumbles. Was suspended for the ’12 season opener against Georgia after he got into a fight with a teammate. On the season, totaled 94-21-8 with two pass breakups and four forced fumbles in 12 games. Was a Butkus Award finalist in ’13 when he led the Bulls in tackling for the second year in a row in ’13 — registered 100-19-10 1/2 with seven pass breakups, three interceptions (two touchdowns) and five forced fumbles in 13 games. Team captain. Three-time first-team all Mid-American Conference.

Strengths:
Disruptive first-step quickness — immediately re-creates the line of scrimmage and plays in the backfield (record tackle-for-loss production). Outstanding instincts — locates the ball quickly and is around the ball a lot. Very good body control, bend and balance — plays on his feet and is seldom on the ground. Developed pass-rush moves (rip, dip and inside counter). Very explosive — broad jumped 10 feet, 8 inches and boasts a rare 40-inch vertical.. Excellent pursuit — tracks down ball carriers from behind. Sacrifices his body and sells out around piles. Strikes with authority — hits on the rise, violently jars ball carriers backward on impact and has a knack for dislodging the ball. Highly motivated. Played big vs. better competition (see Ohio State). Can zone drop and buzz to the flat with ease. Highly competitive and energetic. Regularly was the focus of defensive game plans and still produced despite facing multiple blockers and extra protection consistently rolled his way.

Weaknesses:
Produced nondescript performance with a MAC title game berth on the line vs. Bowling Green and regularly faced inferior MAC competition. Plays a bit too recklessly and out of control. Can learn to run the arc with better lean.

Future:
A havoc-wreaking rush linebacker with the burst and acceleration to excel as a right defensive end in a “40” front, Mack has demonstrated the instincts, toughness, athletic ability and explosive power to line up at any linebacker position in an even or odd front and factor readily. Is a four-year starter who made an immediate impact upon his arrival and is well primed for the NFL game. Looks every bit the part, comes from a humble, grounded family and offers the full package to become an impact performer in the pros.

Draft projection:
Top-10 pick.

Scout’s take:
“Khalil Mack is a beast. He plays like King Kong. He sets the edge and locks out. He has the L.T. (Lawrence Taylor) cut. He is L.T. ... Even if he’s facing lesser competition, he was a dominant player this year. I’ve never seen a guy more accounted for every play at the college level. They do everything to block that guy. There are times when he has three guys assigned to him and he’s still making plays.”

LOLB-DLE CASSIUS MARSH, #99

UCLA
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Grade: 5.37

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 252 | Sp: 4.89 | Arm: 32 3/4 | Hand: 9 1/2

History:
Father, Curtis Sr., was a receiver who played 15 games with the Jaguars and Steelers (1995-97), and brother, Curtis, is a cornerback with the Eagles. Raised by single mother and prepped at Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian. Originally committed to LSU, but switched to UCLA to remain close to home. As a true freshman in 2010 (wore jersey No. 71), played 12 games, starting four at defensive tackle, and recorded 23 tackles, one-half for loss and zero sacks with a batted pass. Started 8-of-12 games in ’11 (wore jersey No. 3), tallying 22-4-2. Was suspended against California and Arizona State for his role in an on-field brawl against Arizona. Was deployed as a 3-4 five-technique his final two seasons. Started all 14 games in ’12 and totaled 50-10 1/2-8 with two batted passes, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. Also caught a touchdown pass as a tight end. Was benched against Stanford after he was ejected from the Cal contest — was called for offside penalties on consecutive plays, then threw a punch (mid-play) in response to a Cal blocker extending a high, two-handed punch to Marsh’s head off the snap. Pulled out of the East-West Shrine Game after hurting his wrist in practice. Was nearly 300 pounds as a freshman, but played in the 260s as an upperclassman.

Strengths:
Outstanding effort and field energy. Good pursuit production — flattens and chases. Plays past the whistle and keeps working to come free. Sacrifices his body around piles. Flushes production to teammates. Flashes strength and power on the edge. Uses his hands well to control and shed blockers. Emotional leader — plays with intensity. Tough and durable. Has NFL pedigree (father and brother). Versatile — lines up inside and outside. Has contributed as a tight end.

Weaknesses:
Lacks ideal foot speed to outquick left tackles. Could stand to improve weight-room strength and functional core strength. Is tightly wound and will rise out of his stance and play tall. Can be overly emotional, lose focus and play undisciplined (too many errors). Managed just 14 bench-press reps, fewest among defensive lineman and linebackers at the Combine. Will require a strong positional coach.

Future:
Very active, high-motor, steady, consistent producer. Lacks ideal bulk for the inside and speed to work the edges, but can set the edge and bring value to an odd front in a LOLB role or as a Sam linebacker. Is most natural moving forward piercing gaps. Will need to be managed, needs to cut down on errors and must learn to play within the structure of the defense.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I didn’t like the way he left the Shrine game. He said he hurt his wrist, but he never got treatment. He has all the tats and is not a well-structured guy. There’s little definition in his body. I was disappointed in person after liking some things he did on tape.”

MLB JAMES MORRIS, #44

IOWA
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Grade: 5.20

Ht: 6-0 7/8 | Wt: 241 | Sp: 4.79 | Arm: 30 3/4 | Hand: 9 1/8

History:
High school linebacker-running back who won three state titles and was Iowa’s Gatorade Player of the Year twice. Played all 13 games as a true freshman in 2010, starting the final six at middle linebacker, and recorded 70 tackles, 2 1/2 for loss and a sack with four pass breakups. Started all 12 games in ’11 — six at MLB, six at weak-side linebacker — and led Hawkeye tacklers by posting 110-3 1/2-0 with a pass breakup and an interception. Did not play against Northwestern (left ankle). Played through a pre-season groin injury in ’12 when he started 11-of-12 games played at MLB. Hurt his right elbow against Purdue and did not start against Michigan. Started all 13 games at MLB in ’13, registering 106-17-7 with three pass breakups, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. Two-time captain.