WHO CAUGHT MY EYE Week 7

October 21, 2016

DALVIN COOK/RB/FLORIDA STATE #4 5’11/206 JR May be the most explosive RB prospect in college football. Has great burst to and through the hole. Once under way he shows excellent balance powered by legs that never stop moving. Has good strength for his size. Despite a bad drop on a screen pass in the 1st Quarter, he normally catches well out of the backfield and gains lots of yards after the catch. He fumbled twice against Wake which is unusual for him. He also missed some 3rd Quarter time after taking a hit to the sternum. But he came back strong in the 4th quarter to finish the day with 115 rushing yards on 25 carries, and 1 reception for 11 more yards. He had a string earlier with 2 games of over 200 total yards rom scrimmage. He gets nicked up a bit in part because of his hard charging running style. Assuming he comes out early, before he’s running on bald tires, I would expect him to the first RB selected next April in the Draft.

MATTHEW DAYES/RB/NC STATE #21 5’9/203 DAYES really impressed as the game with Clemson progressed. He was a big time rushing factor in the second half of the game. He showed great burst to and thru holes at the line-of-scrimmage. He also showed very good field vision, and quick cut ability once into open space. He looked to me like he had very good acceleration ability. He gained a lot of yard-after-contact in this contest. He also looks to be a decent pass catching option. He is an effective and wiling blocker when held in for pass pro. He was able to pick up several blitzing defenders to buy his QB time during key drives. After splitting time a bit in the first half he was the bell cow in second half action. He finished the game with 106 yards on 22 carries, including a TD. He may be a tad short, but he packs a solid 203 lbs. on his frame. He’s far from an elite prospect, but he could be a solid late round pick who provides a tough back-up RB option. I would also project him to be a solid Special Teams contributor.

PAT ELFEIN/OC/OHIO STATE #65 6’3/300 This guy reminds me a lot of former Buckeye, and present Packers OC COREY LINSLEY, who started in his Rookie season as a pro. ELFEIN played OG earlier in his career, which can only work to his advantage in the eyes of NFL Personnel people. IF he can’t earn a starting job right away he could back up all 3 Interior OL slots. He’s functionally strong, and has a high FBI. He should be able to make line calls right away at the pro level. Watching him in action against the Badgers last weekend he stood out for his consistency and bulldog approach to life in the trenches. He stays on his feet and seems to move around effectively to respond to blitzes or stunts taking place around him. He really helped diminish pocket pressure from the interior of the Badgers DL. What you see is what you get with ELFEIN, and he looks like a starter at the pro level to me.

TREY GRIFFEY/WR/ARIZONA #5 6’3/209 Despite the fact that Southern Cal pounded Arizona into submission, I wanted to watch GRIFFEY in action. And yes he is the son of MLB great, KEN GRIFFEY. But I can’t tell you what his real prospects are for the NFL, because the Wildcats use him as a decoy most of the time. He looked totally out of place and at times didn’t even run his routes out when the play went away from him. He’s a pretty looking athlete in a uniform and pads. Let it also be said that Arizona is hurting at QB this season. They completed a whopping 11 throws against USC. It’s guys like this that Practice Squads were created for. It should be noted that he caught only 11 balls in 2015, but averaged 25.8 yards per catch. His best scenario right now is to get invited to the Combine out of curiosity and post some eye catching numbers based on his athleticism. Can’t say much more about him, but if you are a strong believer in the athletic gene pool, like I am, then you gotta wonder what his upside really is.

MARQUEL LEE/LB/WAKE FOREST #8 6’3/240 In the Wake game against Florida State I got my first real chance to watch LEE carefully from a prospect perspective. I like his full sized body, with a strong base anchor. He’s not a speedster but he runs well and has a knack for finding the ball. He wears that Captain’s “C” on his chest which appeals to me. Particularly in the first half he seemed to “spying” DALVIN COOK and was effective overall. He was the cause of COOK’s 3rd Quarter fumble when he parlayed a blitz into a TFL and the fumble. He’s a full sized dude, in pads. I saw him leave the field twice, banged up. But in both instances he returned to action fairly soon. My biggest question is his playing speed. At times he looked a bit heavy legged. His best spot may be inside in a 3-4 base scheme. I sure hope he gets invited to Mobile for the Senior Bowl. His work there in practice and then the game could answer a few more questions for me. Right now I would project him as a Round 4-5 player.

DONNEL PUMPHREY/RB/RS/SA NDIEG STATE #19 5’9/180 It’s a bit of a challenge trying to project his exact fit for the NFL. Surprisingly for his size, he gets a lot of tough yardage between the tackles. He has a knack for making himself “skinny” when he sees a crease from his blockers and sliding forward for some extra yards. He’s not a pure speedster, but has quickness and very good balance. He’s breaking career rushing records set by a guy named MARSHALL FAULK, who tore things up for the AZTECS a couple of decades ago. He seems to see the field well and cut into empty areas. Call him the ‘Artful Dodger’ if you will. In a tougher than expected Win over Fresno State PUMPHREY carried 38 time for 220 yards and 2 TD. I can’t see him handling that big of a load as a pro, but rather be a jack of all trades ala DARREN SPROLES. He might last into Draft Saturday, but should be a great offensive tool for an NFL team. If you haven’t seen him play yet because he’s usually on late at night, set your recording device sometime soon and watch him in action. It’s a treat, trust me.

DeSHAUN WATSON/QB/CLEMSON #4 6’2/215 JR Many people felt he would be the top QB prospect in college football this season. He still may be, but IMO the star has dimmed a bit. In his defense the Clemson OL is mediocre (at best) and their running game is erratic depending in great part upon the health of RB/WAYNE GALLMAN. Gallman was injured in the first half of the game against NC State leaving WATSON with his plate full to lead the team in both run and pass Offense for the majority of the game. Overall, he did well passing for 35/48- 73%- 347 yards- TD, He did throw 1 pick that turned into a Pick-6. He also used his considerable running skills to score another TD. He still has some issues getting through his progressions and finding anyone past his second read. But that can be somewhat attributed to a lack of pass protection in the pocket. He’s incredibly slippery when he does run with the ball. At the end of the first half he showed how good he can be, when he went 8/9 for 84-yards and a TD in the Tigers final drive of the half.. His accuracy is a bit inconsistent. He sometimes follows a pinpoint rocket throw with a two hopper on the next throw. Overall, I would say he’s a great athlete, and a solid team leader. If he comes out early (which I think he should) he will have a high ceiling for growth, but if pushed into a starting role right away I worry about bad habits not getting corrected. By the way his stats above do not include OT, because I consider those numbers to be artificial.

DALVIN TOMLINSON/DT/ALABAMA #54 6’4/307 This guy has been a contributor for the past couple years for the Tide, but got lost in all the pub deservedly heaped on JARRAN REED & A’SHAWN ROBINSON. This season he has become the star down lineman of the Tide Defense. He can play anywhere along the DL and looks to be scheme diverse to me. Like REED the previous 2 seasons, DALVIN’s combo of strength and mobility surprise me at times. More active than you might expect from his body type. He was stout against Tennessee and spent a lot of time penetrating into the Vols backfield to disrupt the pocket and/or wrap up a RB. Keeps his feet very well and pursues relentlessly. He also stays on the field, playing a lot of snaps. He showed very good hand use to move VOL blockers and get to the ball. This guy is climbing on my prospect list.

CHAD WHEELER/OT/SOUTHERN CAL #72 6’6/300 When healthy a very athletic LT who is skilled at both pass pro and run blocking in the Trojans pro-style Offense. He moves his feet with agility and mirrors defenders very nicely. Really looked good keeping Arizona defenders away from his QB last weekend. He shows a solid hand punch, but could clearly use more overall body bulk and muscle for a pro career. In the Trojans 3rd possession of the game WHEELER recognized a blitzer and moved off his DE block to pick up said blitzer, with a solid block. Looked to me like he prevented a sack on that one. He’s basically a finesse player which is OK for many NFL offenses these days. If he finishes the season healthy I could see him taken on Day 2 of the 2017 Draft. Giants RT ZACH BANNER gets more pub because of his size, but WHEELER is more NFL ready.

DRAVIOUS WRIGHT/S/NC STATE #8 5’10/208 This tough, aggressive player plays a hybrid secondary role for the Wolfpack which should translate to a S role in the NFL. With the game against Clemson tied in the 3rd Quarter, WRIGHT ripped the ball away from the RB at the 1-yard line and recovered the fumble to foil the Clemson scoring opportunity. He showed physicality in run support and was a major force on coverage units in Special Teams work. He’s not a ball hawk, but shows some basically sound cover skills. He’s an energetic, hard hitting player, who could add toughness to the team who gets him next Spring. I really think he may get a shot playing in say the Shrine Game and find himself late-draftable if he posts solid Combine numbers. I was not initially watching him, but he literally caught my eye because of his play against Clemson.

Cheers Pigskin