While we were in that brief game lag between the end of the regular season and the Bowl schedule I have been doing some game tape watching and created thumbnails for another group of prospects for you.
AARON EPPS/OT/LOUISVILLE 6’7/288 #78
I was watching tape of the State of Kentucky rivalry match-up and though several key players underwhelmed me, as usual a couple of lesser name prospects rose up to catch my attention. EPPS playing out at RT was one of those who caught my attention pretty quickly. He looks practically skinny, but he also shows great length and above average athleticism. 2015 has been his first season for Louisville as a full-time starter and he has shown some flashes of development along the way. I realize he’s not going to an All-Star Game, or the Combine. But he’ll get some scrutiny at the Louisville Pro Day. He is a very long (excuse the pun) shot, and certainly nothing more than an URFA afterthought, but there is a guy who gets some starts in Tampa by the name of DEMAR DOTSON, who played mostly basketball in college and has challenged for playing time and starts for the BUCS in recent years. An athlete like EPPS, is exactly what an NFL Practice Squad was created for, IMO. He’s a long, tall lump of clay waiting for some good coaches to mold him into a football player. Put the measuring tape on his arms and hands and tell me he’s not worth a cup of coffee and development time.
JOSH FOREST/ILB/KENTUCKY 6’3/235 #45
Another exceptional athlete who came to Kentucky as a WR, and has developed into a legit NFL LB prospect. He is scheduled to make an appearance in Mobile this January for the Senior Bowl. Tuned in the Kentucky/Louisville rivalry game two weeks ago just in time to see FOREST step in front of a seemingly open receiver and streak 70+ yards for a Pick-6. I spent the rest of the day watching him make tackle after tackle as his team gave the game away to the Cardinals. He’s a bulked up 235+-pounder, who totaled 97 tackles for the Wildcats this season. His athleticism should allow him to stay on the field for 3 downs. He is relentless in pursuit and takes good angles to the ball. He’s also a good wrap-up tackler. I think his athleticism will play out best as an ILB in a 3-4 scheme. His athleticism, paired up with a thumper beside him could provide nice versatility in the middle of the field. He will clearly cover more ground than most inside guys, as evidenced by a 3rd Quarter play in which came all the way across the field and made a pursuit tackle 20 yards downfield. He’ll be a bit out of position in Mobile, where the 4-3 scheme is mandated, but he should look solid in practices where his natural athleticism can be showcased. I see him as a solid Round 4 Draftee next April.
KYLER FACKRELL/OLB/UTAH STATE 6’5/250 #9
I am just as perplexed as ever as to how to project this guy’s skills and college productivity to the next level. He’s played on a talented LB group with the VIGIL Brothers at State. He’s a really good athlete and a smart football player. But he’s so long and lean that I just can’t see him keeping his long legs untangled as he tries to play in reverse in pass coverage. He missed all of 2014 to injury. He looked healthy in 2015 and put together another solid season. He was second on the team with 76 tackles, which included 13.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 12 QBH and 2 FF. He can rush the passer and pursues the ball well in general. I am just not sure how to project him to the pro game. He’s too thin for the DE slot and as I have already stated I am concerned about his long frame translates against NFL quick-twitch athletes out in space. Can he be the next BRAD VAN PELT/GIANTS, for the NFL? The good news is that I should get a week long shot at evaluating him in Mobile under NFL coaching. Enough said for now.
BRONSON KAUFUSI/DE/BYU 6’7/265 #90
KAUFUSI reminds me a bit of a guy named ZIGGY ANSAH in his physique and his skill-set. He is not as dynamic as ANSAH, but conversely he has the career resume’ that ANSAH did not playing in the BYU program. He’s long, fairly athletic and has a definite impact on games with his pass rush skills and his ability to block passes and kicks. I can guarantee that opposing QB were well aware of his presence and play-making ability the past few seasons. His stat sheet for 2015 should paint a clear picture of his athleticism and versatility for you: 12 games, 55 tackles, 17 TFL, 11 sacks, 1 INT, 6 QBH & 4 blocked kicks. That is the resume’ of a player who could be a dynamic weapon in the hands of the right coaching staff. He stays on his feet well and was even asked to drop into pass coverage on several occasions against Utah State. He seems to see the ball well and track it around the field. But his biggest asset is clearly his length! He is currently listed on the Shrine Game roster and I look forward to watching him closely at that venue in January. I doubt that he will soar as a prospect like ANSAH did at the Senior Bowl a couple of years ago, but he will be hard to miss competing this off-season. If his work in St. Pete, compares to what I saw this past season I think his skill-set and size could push him into Friday of the 2016 NFL Draft
DEVIN LUCIEN/WR/ARIZONA STATE 6’1/200 #15
Mark LUCIEN down as one of the biggest benefactors this season of the NCAA graduate student transfer policies. He was more productive in his one season with the Sun Devils than he was in his entire UCLA career. And it took persuasion from QB/MIKE BERCOVICI to get HC TODD GRAHAM to grant LUCIEN a scholarship. He took over a crowded WR group and was hitting full stride in the final month of the season. While sitting a lot for UCLA he clearly studied the game and listened to his coaches, because he runs good patterns. I’m not sure how to gauge his actual speed right now, but he gets open and gains yards after the catch. His numbers in Indy or his Pro Day will go a long way in determining his Draft placement. I realized he had come on strong leading up to watching him in the ASU/CAL game, but he really opened my eyes with 8 catches for 200 yards and 3 TD. He went from 58 catches, for 752 yards and 4 TD in 33 games at UCLA, to 57 grabs for 931 yards and 7 TD in 12 games this season for the Sun Devils. There will clearly be questions about his UCLA career from NFL personnel people, but the tale of the tape in his post-season should be the major factor in determining his Draft status.
MITCH MATTHEWS/WR/BYU 6’6/215 #10
MATTHEWS has used the 2014 and 2015 seasons to greatly enhance his potential as an NFL receiver. It will be interesting to see how he tests at the Combine, or more likely his Pro Day, but he had a solid 2015 season leading the Cougars with 52 catches for 729 yards and 11 TD. He may impress some scouting personnel when they slap the tape measure on his hand spread and his arm length. I’d guess his vert will be impressive for his size as well. He is incredibly strong and wins constantly on jump balls against smaller DB. He also appears to have excellent hand strength and size. At times he reminds me of a thinner GRONK. Even the NFL’s bigger, harder hitting S might have some issues covering and tackling this guy. His game day demeanor is intense, to say the least. He shows the ability to accelerate in the open field after a catch. Early this season I was skeptical of how his game might translate to the NFL. After watching him in the UTAH STATE showdown game I doubt him no more. He caught 6 balls, for 158 yards and 2 TD in the Holy War game. His long catch of the day was a 72-yard TD, catch and run. I know some fans have a great amount of skepticism about these over-aged, white guys from BYU, but once you get to Round 4 of the Draft there are few expectations of 10-year, all-pro careers anyway. A player like MATTHEWS should be a very viable 5th Rounder who might give a team 4-5 solid years as a 4th receiver and Special Teamer for the bottom of a roster. He’s on my Top 250 list for sure.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE/DT/OLE MISS 6’4/290 #5 JR
There can be very little doubt that NKEMDICHE is one of the elite talents of college football. His combination of size and athleticism is uncommon. But a lot of his value is in his potential. He’s nowhere near as pro ready as a guy named SUH was, but I’m not sure staying at Ole Miss strengthens his game any. I recently watched game tape of the big win on rivalry weekend against MISS STATE. By the end of the day NKEMDICHE had 3 sacks and numerous other disruptions of DAK & the State offense. He is a very fast penetrator and finds the ball very well. But other than his speed and persistence there is not much to his pass rush. He clearly needs to work on his arm and hand usage to discard blockers. He also needs to show a bit more hustle in his pursuit of the ball once it moves away from him. His pursuit right now often looks like a light jog. He’s top notch, but I think he needs pro coaching and motivation to step it up another notch. I’d also like to see him get his weight up to 300+. NKEMDiCHE has recently complicated his draft status due to his apparent belief that he might be able to fly. ROBERT is worthy of a Top 5 Draft Pick already, but his pro team and their fans will need to understand the word patience, because he’s not ready to dominate against grown men just yet. His interviews in the coming months will be critical to his draft status.
JORDAN RIGSBEE/OG/CALIFORNIA 6’4/300 #73
CAL finished the season 6-6, and is going Bowling. Future NFL star QB JARED GOFF led this team and had to overcome a mediocre OL and run for his life most games. RIGSBEE, however was the strong point on that line. He’s a well proportioned athlete who can move his feet and engage defenders well with his hands. He strikes me as a guy who can help an NFL OL in a precision style passing attack offense. He has decent strength, but it is his mobility and technique that get the job done. Watching him it was clear that he could both pull on plays going wide, as well as hit a gap and get out to complete second level blocks. If CAL had a couple more OL of his quality GOFF might have been able to lead the team to a few more Wins for CAL this past season. Right now I do not see his name on an All-Star roster, which is a shame in my opinion. He looks to me like a young man who can and will compete with the best if given a chance. He may end up a late draftee, but he will get a look in the NFL’s relentless search for talent to fill its rosters.
HUNTER SHARP/WR/RS/UTAH STATE 6’0/200 #4
I finally got my long look at SHARP watching game tape of BYU/UTAH STATE contest, and I must say I was impressed. He has nice size, and very good hands (despite 1 drop). He runs well and should be able to post a 40-time in the middle of the WR pack in Indy. What should appeal to NFL personnel people is his versatility. He has the quicks and elusiveness to compete as both a Punt and Kick Return Man in a Camp next summer. He seems to have really high FBI. On several occasions he could be seen running back toward his QB in scramble situations. That does not happen a lot at the college level of competition. He is also very elusive with the ball in his hands anywhere on the field. He has also been used on reverses regularly for State in his career there. He made a highlight reel leaping, stretching catch of a ball coming across the middle of the field in the 3rd Quarter. For a top ranked team that catch would have been in highlight reels that night. He runs good patterns and seems to track the ball really well in the air. For the game he caught 7 balls, for 100 yards and 1 TD. For the 2015 season, SHARP had 60 catches, for 746 yards and 8 TD. Most impressively he averaged over 30 yards per KR this past season. He is also currently listed on the SHRINE GAME roster and I am looking forward to watching him catch some balls from serious QB prospects like ALLEN, SUDFELD & DOUGHTY. This guy is outside the Top 100 on my WR list right now, but that’s in a very deep WR group assuming a large number of Juniors are likely to come out early.
CHRIS WESTERMAN/OG/ARIZONA STATE 6’4/300 #55
This athletic interior OL came home from Auburn to finish up his playing days in the Valley Of the Sun. He has a nice, solid frame and could clearly add another 10 lbs if needed. Though not my cup of tea for a job with a power running attack, his overall athleticism and agile footwork will serve him well for a precision passing game Offense. He’s solid in pass-pro after playing in a Sun Devil Offense that resembles a pro style scheme. I’ll take a stab at this and say he’ll post Combine numbers that reflect his athleticism vs. functional strength. He explodes off the snap on running plays and getting to second level blocks is a snap for him. He uses his hands well to tie up defenders and direct them way from the ball. He’s smooth with little wasted energy and effort to his game. He stood out right away when I watched tape of the ASU/CAL game. He’s scheduled to be in Mobile this January and I expect him to make a solid impression under NFL coaching staffs. Another player who is right on the cusp of being in my Top 100. The post-season should go a long way to determining his draft status.
